Be My Escape
by Sexy Vegetarian Vampire
Summary: Suppose Renee didn't take Bella with her when she left. Charlie turns abusive and at age 15 Bella tries to commit suicide but is stopped by a strange pale boy. BxE CHAPTER 22 IS UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **as much as I love playing with Stephenie Meyer's characters, they are not mine and never will be. sob

I was halfway done cooking Charlie's fish in the frying pan when the phone rang in the next room. "Damn," I muttered under my breath. Charlie would be home from work soon and I didn't want to think about what would happen to me if dinner wasn't ready. Then again, if it was him calling I would be dead if I didn't answer.

I set down my spatula and headed to our small living room. I was littered with empty beer bottles from when Charlie had passed out here last night. Making my way carefully around the clutter, I headed for the phone. I picked it up slowly, wondering who would be calling. It wouldn't be one of Charlie's coworkers from down at the station because he was still with them or had just left. I didn't have any friends at school to talk to.

"Hello?" I said. It sounded like a question.

"Oh, hello Bella." said a man's voice on the other end. "This is Billy Black, one of Charlie's old friends. Is he home?"

I vaguely remembered Billy from a long time ago. He lived on La Push reservation near Forks and had a son who was a little younger than me. I think his name was Jerry, or Jason . . . something like that.

"No, sorry he just left work but he should be back soon. Would you like me to tell him you called?" I replied, in a hurry to get back to the fish.

"Yes please, and tell him to call back," said Billy.

"Ya, sure," I said, talking extremely fast, "Look I have to go. Bye." And I hung up before he had a chance to answer. I raced back to the kitchen and smelled burnt fish. _Fuck you Billy._ I thought. I was going to be punished for this. He was going to be home any second and there was no food waiting for him. There was no way to salvage the fish. It was black and smelled terrible. I didn't even bother to take the pan off the gas stovetop.

Just then the front door flew open, hitting the opposite wall with a loud bang. It caused me to jump but I knew better than to make any noise. That was one of the most important rules. The more you scream the worse it will hurt. Charlie walked in and hung up his gun by the door. He went to the kitchen and plopped down in his chair.

"Well hello there Bella," Charlie said in a mock friendly voice "how was your day?"

I didn't say anything as he looked down at the empty plate in front of him.

"Isabella, where's dinner" he said still keeping his pleasant voice, but I could hear the rage burning beneath the surface.

He stood up to face me. I stood still by the stove, immobilized by my fear. This was nothing new but each time scarred me more than the next.

"You burnt it did you?" still he would sound friendly to someone else but it scarred me more than yelling. "Tut, tut . . . it seems like I am going to have to teach you a lesson Bella."

He moved forward so that he was only a foot in front of me.

"Can't you do anything right, Bella? It's only fish after all. I give you food and shelter and send you to school and provide you with clothes. All I ask in return is that I have a hot meal waiting on my table when I get home from work. Is that so much to ask?"

Charlie then slapped me across the face, hard. Hot tears sprang into my eyes but no sound escaped my lips.

"It's your fault she left," he whispered, no longer friendly, but menacing. He was talking about my mother now. "She never wanted you and neither do I. You're useless, you know that?"

He punched my stomach and I moaned and fell to the ground. Charlie grabbed me roughly by my hair and pulled my up to face him. He held my face just inches from his own, which was currently turning red with rage.

"You are good for nothing. You would be better off dead!" he spat at me as he said this.

"So kill me," I said, speaking for the first time since he had walked in the door.

"Ah but then people would wonder where you had gone my dear," he said, returning to his faux pleasant tone. Then suddenly, he threw me against the tile floor. I heard a loud crack and smelled my own blood. I was close to passing out from the pain.

But that wasn't the worst of the pain. Charlie grabbed my hand and pulled it up, placing the inside of my wrist against the still hot frying pan. A searing pain shot through my hand. I wriggled and tried in vain to get free. I gasped as the burn got worse. My struggles only made Charlie hold my hand there tighter which made it hurt worse. When he finally let me free, dropping me unceremoniously only the floor, leaving a layer of my skin stuck to the pan.

The last conscious thought I had was that this torture had to end, one way or another. I couldn't run away because I had no where to go. Charlie wasn't going to kill me anytime soon. So that was it. I would have to kill myself. I had to make this pain go away. I passed out on the kitchen floor knowing that soon my life would be over. I wouldn't have to worry about covering all of my bruises for school or making everything perfect for my dad. I would be free.

**Good? Bad? What do you think? Should I continue? Edward will be in the next chapter. Review please!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay!!! Hello and thank you to all of those people that have reviewed!!! I love you all. It just makes me so happy to see that people like my story!!!!!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN** **TWILIGHT **

APOV

I had a vision of the girl again today. Bella, was what her father had called her. This scared me more than the others because once her father had finished beating her, Bella had decided to kill herself.

These visions had been coming for a few weeks now. Each one consisted of the same two people. Bella and her father Charlie. He would beat her constantly. She had no way to escape. I knew now that I had to do something to help Bella. I couldn't just get a vison of someone trying to kill themselves and not do anything about it.

We were living in Denali currently but we were leaving soon. There were too many of us and we were beginning to draw attention. I had suggested Forks, Washington and we were going to leave tomorrow. For one it was the perfect place for us. Very rainy, little sun. Perfect for a family of vampires. But more importantly, it was where Bella lived. I didn't know why, but I had to help her.

"Alice, what are you thinking about," Edward questioned me suddenly causing me to jump. I had been so wrapped up in Bella that I had forgotten about my brother sitting next to me in our living room who could, so conveniently, read my every thought. We were alone, the rest of the family was out hunting. I was just scared that he wouldn't let me go to Bella.

"How much did you hear?" I asked quickly translating the flag salute into French to keep him out of my head. Maybe he hadn't heard everything.

"Just that you were going to help someone who was trying to kill themselves . . .," he replied cautiously. _Je fait sermente d'allegance . . ._

"Oh it was nothing really," I said even more carefully than him. _Au drapeau des Etats-Unis d'Amerique . . ._

"What did you see, Alice?" Edward said sharply.

I sighed and told him about all my visions of Bella, even my most recent one. I then showed him a picture of Bella through my mind. At this he stiffened and I knew why. Bella's face was covered in bruises and cuts, none of which could have been self-inflicted.

"We have to get her out of there," I explained finally.

"I know," he said softly, "when is she going to . . . t-to . . ." Edward didn't have to finish that sentence for me to understand what he meant.

"She hasn't decided yet but I'll see it when she does," as I said this I shook my head sadly.

"This is why you wanted to move to Forks, isn't it?" he spoke in a subdued tone.

"Yes," I said in just the same kind of voice. "It's a good thing we're leaving tomorrow because སྭ " I couldn't finish my sentence because at that moment I had another vision of Bella.

_She was stirring silently on the tile floor of their small dingy kitchen. Charlie came thumping down the stairs. When Bella heard his footsteps, she jumped up and hurried out the back door._

_It was raining out side, as usual. She dashed over the wet ground and into a large, rusty, red truck. Once inside she broke down in tears. _

The vision skipped suddenly . . . _Bella was standing alone in a dark room_. _On the wall were what looked like a child's doodles drawing in messy crayon. Silent tears were still running down her face as she placed an envelope in front of her feet._

_Bella then took a gun and placed it against her head. A happy smile covered took the place of her frown, thought the tears continued to fall. Then she pulled the trigger . . ._

"NO!" I shouted falling of the couch. Edward caught me and placed me gently down on the couch again as I began to sob into one of Esme's throw pillows.

"Alice! What happened, what did you see?" Edward's worried voice made its way into my hysteria.

"T–to n–night," was all I managed to say. He was off the couch and running through our large mansion.

Edward was back in a matter of seconds with a letter clutched tightly in one hand. "Let's go," he said, not so calmly.

We raced out the door, leaving the note to our family resting on the side table of the foyer. They would find it as soon as they got back from hunting. They would then follow us to Forks. I could see that.

Our fury at the man who had caused Bella to want to kill herself drove us on faster. We ran as quickly as we possibly could, Edward slightly ahead of me. Our feet had no time to make contact with the ground before they were whipped back up in a race of blind rage. Across the snow, around the trees. On our way to Forks . . . we had to get there in time.

**Title open to suggestions. I honestly have no idea where this story is going so I'm just going to write stuff as it comes to me. If there's something bad about my story, let me know. **

**Thank you all for reading!!! cookies for all of you cool people who review!!!**

**XOXO veggiegurl896 **


	3. Chapter 3

**Well fine, don't review then. Thank you XjustXcallXmeXsavyX and Midday Moonlight you guys get a cookie but nobody else does. If you don't review, I will get discouraged and not update. Don't make me abandon Bella like this!**** (O and I am a woman / girl / not man)**

EDIT thank you to those people who pointed out my mistake. I gave Bella her truck in this chapter, forgetting that she is only 15. So in chapter 12 when she walked to school... well, I'm sorry if that confused some of you but it's all better now!

**Disclaimer: **wish I owned Twilight/ New Moon/ Eclipse aka the greatest books EVAH!!

BPOV

I woke up that morning forgetting why I was now lying on the cold tile floor. Suddenly I heard loud thumping footsteps coming from overhead . . . Charlie. It all came flooding back to me then. Billy's phone call, the burnt fish, Charlie, Charlie beating me, everything. Then I remembered the conclusion I had come to last night. _Suicide_. I never thought I would be forced to resort to killing my self but I just couldn't take it anymore.

The sounds of my father approaching the old crappy kitchen made me jump to my wobbly feet. I clutched the freezing tile for support as I stumbled out the back door into poring rain. It let the icy water wash the dried blood in my hair as I ran for the cover of the dark forest that surrounded our house.

He never seemed to want to be around me unless I was in pain. My mother had left us when I was five for another man named Phil. I hadn't seen or heard from her since the day she walked out the door for work, proclaiming that she "loved" me, and never came back. The beatings had started later that summer.

_Flashback: (10 years ago)_

_I was standing in my small bedroom with a small box of crayons held tightly in one tiny hand. Daddy had been so sad since Mommy had abandoned us and I wanted to do something to cheer him up. I did what any five year old would have done. I drew a picture for him. There was no paper in the drawer in the living room where it should have been, so I went to his bedroom. None there either. _

_However, there was a large blank space on the wall where our family portrait once hung. I never found out what Charlie did with it. I started to draw . . . Soon a large purple tree stood on the boring, cream-colored walls. Beneath it were two simple stick figures. One large, red, and rather chubby (Charlie), the other was short with bright blue pig tails (me). They were holding hands and smiling hugely, the way only a child's picture could. I had also written " __I luv u daddy__" in my messy scrawl. _

_The door slammed suddenly and I raced down the stairs to greet my dad. I tripped over the rug in the entry way and toppled into Daddy. He grabbed me by one arm and tugged, hard and I struggled on my feet. It brought tears to my eyes as I straightened up._

"_Still as clumsy as ever, Bella," his voice was angry but it was nothing new. He hadn't smiled since Mommy disappeared. It was hard on me too but I was trying to be happy for Daddy. He was having a hard time. This reminded me of my picture for him._

_My wet eyes dried instantly as I took his warm hand in mine and dragged him up the stairs. "Come see what I made you, daddy," I said excitedly._

_He grunted in response and followed me unwillingly. I pushed open the door and led him inside pointing to my artwork excitedly. But dad said nothing. He dropped my hand and as he did so, I looked up questioningly at him. His face had turned purple with rage. _

"_WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" he shouted and I cringed and shook with fright. "YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT. IT'S YOUR FAULT RENEE LEFT. I TRY TO FORGET ABOUT HER AND MOVE ON. ALL YOU DO IS REMIND ME OF HER. GO GET SOMETHING TO CLEAN THIS MESS UP!"_

_Daddy hadn't said this much since mommy had left. I cried hard, sobbing into the floor. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me off the ground. "Didn't you hear me," Charlie sneered into my face. "I never want to see you do anything like this again. Can't you get one thing right, bitch?"_

_The tears were covering my face now. My little hands scrabbled fruitlessly with the backs of his, still tangled in my long brown hair. All I had wanted to do was make him happy, so that we could be a family again. Instead, I had hurt him. I was worthless. Mommy hadn't wanted me and now Daddy didn't either._

_I was thrown roughly to the floor and I stood, not so gracefully, rushing out of the room._

_End Flashback_

I knew then exactly what I would do. My path was clear to me. I dried my eyes, my entire being now focused on ending this hell I was living in.

I decided to risk going back inside, Charlie would be mad if he had to fix himself breakfast. Once back in the kitchen, I saw my father at the table with a bowl of cereal. Knowing what he expected of me, I hurried to get a rag from under the sink. Wetting it quickly under the faucet, I bent to the floor and began scrubbing my own dried blood from last night.

"Billy called this morning," Charlie said, unexpectedly. I was startled. He usually never talked after he had beat me recently. "We're going fishing today so you'll have to find something to do with yourself. Maybe you could clean up. This place is filthy!"

I nodded silently. This was going to work perfectly. Charlie would be out of the house all day. My plan would work.

--Later that night --

I walked slowly, and deliberately into Charlie's bedroom, which I had not entered since that day more than ten years ago. I tore off the baseball poster that had been taped over my drawing when all attempts to wash it had failed. My faded picture still remained on the dirty cream wall.

Next, I went to my tiny, closet of a bedroom. My backpack lay on the foot or so of floor space near a cardboard box filled with my clothes. I took a piece of notebook paper from a spiral, an envelope and a thick black sharpie out.

My final stop was downstairs. Every day when Charlie came home from work, he would hang his gun up in the same spot by the door. I grabbed the heavy belt and headed back to my father's bedroom.

One in there, I began to write my letter.

Charlie,

Goodbye. You never wanted me, and neither did mom. It's not your fault that I'm not good enough for anyone. Because I have no reason to live, I took myself out of this world. Try your best to forget about the daughter that you never wanted.

I love you. I only say that because love is unconditional and can never die. You were once my father once. Ten years ago that all changed. Yet I love you anyway. I covered my bruises and made excuses, but only for you.

Every day I prayed for it to end. For me to do something right. To be the innocent girl I once was. I can see now that it will never happen and I'm tired of pretending and praying.

So goodbye forever,

Bella

I folded the letter carefully and sealed it into the envelope. I was crying mutely now. I placed the note at my feet and, standing in front of the picture I had once tried tell him I loved him with, I thought of the good years of my life. Charlie, Renee and I had been a family once. But that was more than ten years ago and nothing was ever going to get better.

This pain would stop with one simple action. I raised the gun to my head with trembling fingers. My eyes drifted closed as I dreamed of a better place, one with loving families and friends. A slight smile touched my face as my fingers tightened around the trigger སྭ

"NO!" A nearby voice shouted. I was stunned as my eyes snapped open. The most beautiful boy alive was standing before me, or was he and angel.

"W-what?" I asked in a breathless, shaky voice.

Suddenly, I was pressed against the wall, Charlie's gun ripped from my hand. "Stop it." He said in a soft tone. It sounded tortured and pained. "Don't kill yourself"

As his sweet breath blew into my face, I began to feel light headed. "Don't . . ." he said again as my mind faded into blackness.

**Ok, really a depressing chapter I know. I don't know what's going to happen next so review and I'll think of something faster!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yes it's been forever. I could write down a long list of excuses (trust me I do have them) but I won't bore you like that. Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight! Shocker . . .**

EPOV

I raced through the snow-covered forest, letting my fury drive me forward.

How could someone be so cruel? The thought of that poor girl, Bella, made me want to cry, though I was unable to. Everything had been so terrible in her life. Alice had shown me what Bella looked like through her thoughts. Every inch of her face had been covered in bruises and cuts.

Even so, she was still the most beautiful person I had ever seen. Anyone that looked at Bella's face could tell that she was broken, but when I looked into her eyes, I saw a strength there that no one else possessed. This thought scared me. I had never even considered a human to be that gorgeous. I didn't need a mate. I was a complete person who didn't need anyone else.

Wait, what was I thinking about? I didn't even know this girl. I had seen one picture of her and already I was comparing her to a mate. That hardly seemed right. All I knew was that she needed help and that was exactly what I was going to do, help.

Alice and I passed over the border line from Canada to the United States. It had already been hours. We could be too late, but Alice's thoughts kept saying that she hadn't shot herself yet, that we were going to get there in time.

I had no idea what we were going to do, but she couldn't kill herself. I couldn't explain why this was so important to me. I was meant to hunt humans not protect them. I had given up hunting them but to go so out of my way to save one girl I didn't even know? Honestly, I haven't been thinking clearly at all lately.

We ran as fast as we possibly could along the coast of Washington to Forks. Soon, the forest began to thin out. Trees became smaller and less dense. Alice and I passed a tiny sign that announced that we had entered Forks. _Not long now. Edward, you're faster than me. You have to make it to her in time. Stay along this road then take a left. That's Bella's street. I'll be right behind you._

I nodded in response to Alice's thoughts and sped up. I was going faster than I ever had before. As I moved ahead of Alice, I could make out the small blue house she had shown me off in the distance.

_One more thing, Edward. _Alice thought at me as we raced along the street, still too fast for any human to see. _This is going to be hard on you but you can do it. Control yourself._

"What are you talking about, Alice?" I said, speaking aloud for the first time since we had left our home in Denali. However, all she thought was _you'll see_, before thinking of Jasper and her doing things I would rather not witness. That was extremely frustrating but right now I had to focus on finding Bella.

As I approached her house, I smelled the most seductive sent that I have ever inhaled. It was slightly flowery, like lavender or freesia. Suddenly, the monster in me took over. I was no longer running to protect, but to hunt, to kill.

_Dammit, Edward! Control yourself! _Alice shouted angrily at me through her thoughts. _She's human. She's defenseless. You aren't supposed to hurt her._

At this I growled. What was I going to do? I couldn't harm her, but the vampire part of me only wanted her blood. Bella had a life, a soul. I could not take that away from her. And I would not let her take that away from herself. I focused on Charlie, the man who had caused her to plan her own death.

I could not let myself take away the life she was given. So I cut off the flow of oxygen to my lungs. That made it easier to ignore the burning thirst in the back of my throat.

Now I had reached the front of the little house and I dashed inside the unlocked door. After jumping up the entire flight of stairs to the landing, I skidded to the right and into a bedroom. I acted in seconds but still had time to absorb the entire scene in front of me.

Bella stood against the southern wall of the tiny room. Eyes squeezed shut, tears streaming down her face. A sealed envelope was placed carefully at her feet. One arm was raised and a small pistol was resting gently against her head.

"NO!" I screamed, lunging forward. Her eyes snapped open to meet mine, shocked and confused.

"W-what?" she questioned, her voice quivering.

I darted forward again, pressing Bella against the wall with one hand. With the other I snatched the gun away from her, letting it clatter to the floor. "Stop it," I forced out. "Don't kill yourself."

There was no more air left for me to form a coherent sentence. She began to grow limp and I caught her in my strong arms as she fell.

I prayed that Alice would get here soon and take care of her. After Bella was gently placed on the wooden floor, I took off again. I needed to get out of this house and clear my head. I was also overdue for a nice long hunting trip.

**I know it's short but it's 2:00 in the morning and I have school tomorrow. Review please and I promise I won't make you wait so long for the next chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I have discovered the REAL reason never to tell anyone online where you live. It's because then they can't come at you with torches and pitchforks when you don't update your fanfics . . .**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse. Bet you didn't see that one coming . . . **

Alice's POV

What was I supposed to do now? I hadn't thought about what I was going to do when I got here. _Perfect_.

Abandoned by my brother, with an unconscious girl who had just attempted to kill herself. There were dark shadows under her eyes and bruises covering every inch of her skin. Her hair was cropped short with bangs that swooped down to cover one eye. Bella was also painfully skinny. There was a terrible burn mark visible on her arm. It was red and raw with flaky white skin pealing away. Honestly, I was amazed that she had survived this long.

She needed to see a doctor . . . badly. Actually, she needed Carlisle. He was the only person I could trust with Bella. But the rest of my family wouldn't be here for another day at the very least. They still had to pack up all our things and drive down here.

The only thing I could think to do was get Bella out of the house before her father got home. It was not only for her safety, but his as well. I wasn't sure that I could see that man and let him live after witnessing what he had done to Bella.

I was being so _stupid_. Hello, note to self: the power to see the future comes in handy when making decisions.

I smacked myself in the head with the palm of my hand as I paced back and forth in Charlie's bedroom. Bella still lay right where Edward had dropped her.

He was also being an idiot. Maybe meeting his singer would teach that boy to hunt more often.

I scooped Bella's limp body into my arms and lifted her up onto her father's bed. He wasn't due home for another hour and Bella wouldn't be awake for at least three so I had time to plan. So, I settled down on the bed next to Bella, folding my legs under me.

Taking Bella to the hospital . . .

_She was lying down surrounded by white sheets and covered in bandages with wires coming off of her skin. The doctors had allowed Charlie a moment alone with his daughter. He stood above the bed, fuming. His face was tinted with a nasty purple color and his chest heaved._

The vision switched and now it showed the tiny living room I had passed on my way up. It was several weeks later and a much healthier Bella stood facing the man she had the misfortune to call father.

"_How dare you let them find out." Charlie spat at her. Bella cringed and backed away. However, he followed her until she was pressed tightly into the corner. Their faces were inches apart. "Some day you will learn . . ."_

_She opened her mouth to speak but was met with a fist before she could get the words out._

I snapped my head up with such force that, had I been human, I would have suffered from whiplash. Obviously, taking her straight to the hospital was not going to work out in the long run.

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair.

Alright, now what would happen if I took Bella back to our house and waited for Carlisle to take care of her . . .

_I was in my bedroom with an angry Bella beside me. I attempted to explain to her where she was and why I was with her. She was afraid, I could tell that much, but she still wasn't going down without a fight. The expression she wore perfectly illustrated the phrase 'if looks could kill'. _

The scene in my mind shifted once again. _Bella was standing in Carlisle's_ _office while he told her that he was a doctor and wanted to help heal her injuries. She demanded that he take her home and refused all his help. Because of the oath he had taken when he became a doctor, Carlisle could not treat her without her consent. So he placed Bella in his car and drove her back to her house with me running behind them, yelling to stop the car, all the way._

I jerked myself out of my vision. I knew what would happen to Bella once she returned to Charlie and I did not wish to see it again. I had to protect Bella but everything I could do, ended up with her being hurt even worse. I needed to get her out of here . . . permanently. I leapt off the bed and grabbed the blank envelope that was lying on the floor, stuffing it in my pocket. However, I knew that I would never read it.

Suddenly, another vision came to me. It was about Edward. _He was back at our house in Forks with his eyes a shining gold once more. But he did not plan to stay there. He was writing a note to our family for them to find when they returned. Because he would not be here. Edward was leaving. He was going to Denali again._

That pretty much made my choice for me. And, without another thought, I picked up Bella's frail body and jumped gracefully out the window. Then I took off running towards our home.

He couldn't go away now. Edward was the one who kept our family together. Without him, we would all split off into couples and travel like most of the rest of our kind. We were an unusual bunch and I liked it that way. I refused to let him ruin that for me.

I darted between trees, making sure to shelter Bella from the branches that were whipping around us. It seemed that I was doing a lot of running these days.

Soon I came to the clearing where our huge white mansion stood, untouched. I could smell Edward inside. Kicking open the unlocked door was easy even carrying Bella . Edward was in the livingroom and I was sure that he knew I was here.

I ignored him completely and went upstairs to my room, placing Bella in my bed. Then I returned downstairs to see my brother standing beside his piano. We simply stared at each other, both refusing to break the uncomfortable silence. When he sensed that I wasn't giving up, he spoke.

"Why did you bring her back here?" His voice was strained with the effort of not going to kill the unconscious girl.

"What was I supposed to do?" I shot back. "Leave her there?"

"No, but —"

I cut him off, "Exactly, so now here she is and you are just going to have to deal with that."

"Actually, I won't." He replied. "I am not going to stay in this house. I will return to Denali and continue to live with Tanya's coven."

"I thought you realized that I am not going to let you go that easily. Think of what it would do to Esme and Carlisle. Even the boys would miss you. Rosalie would be alright but who would be dragged off to the small to carry my bags for me? You can't just go because of one girl. We are a family."

"I can't put her in danger like that, Alice. And I won't. I refuse to hurt Bella like her father has. The thought of causing her pain . . ." He drifted off, staring into space, lost in his own thoughts.

Edward had always believed that he had perfect control. And now he couldn't take the fact that one human might make him feel weak. So he was doing what he had always done: taking the easy way out. He was just going to run away and leave me to heal Bella alone.

For some reason, I could not explain to myself why it was so important to get Bella out of her situation. Whenever I looked into her future I came up blank. Probably because I hadn't made up my mind about what to do for her yet. But that wasn't exactly it. Some piece of the puzzle was missing. Something that had to fall into place before Bella could be truly happy again.

"Edward," I said sharply, pulling out of his dream land. "You can't go it's as simple as that. Just stay away from her and hunt more often. You'll be fine. I know you're strong."

I purposefully blocked out my visions for a while. I needed to find out what would happen if Edward decided to stay. But if he found out and didn't like what I saw, he would bolt. I had to keep him here, no matter what.

For right now, I had to keep that eavesdropper out of my head. _That's right, buddy. I know you're listening. _I scolded him. _Maybe this will teach you to stay out of other people's business. _

And, with that said, I focused all my energy on singing the Barbie Song over and over again in my mind, perfectly imitating the sound of Aqua's voices.

"Alice," he groaned. "I hate you."

Edward took off up the stairs to his room. I was left standing in the livingroom, laughing manically.

"I'm going hunting for a while," I said in a normal voice. "Don't go running off while I'm gone, 'kay?"

Without waiting for a reply, I took off into the woods once more. I needed something to clear my head because in about a half an hour, a very hungry Charlie would come home to find his daughter missing.

**Personally, I hate being trapped at my grandparent's house over Spring Break with nothing to do. But it's working out well for you guys, isn't it? Three chapters in one week! That's a record. I am astounded at the number of reviews for this story. Let's try to make it to a hundred shall we!!**


	6. Chapter 6

Edward's POV

It would be so easy. Alice wasn't anywhere near. Just one little snap of the neck and that intoxicating crimson liquid would be all mine—

_No, dammit Edward you can't do that. _I jumped up from my leather sofa and began to pace my bedroom.

I couldn't take her life. She was human. I wished Alice was here to help me ignore the seductive scent that was floating up to me from the floor below.

_But no one would ever have to know if you just had a taste. _The monster within me reasoned.

_But what about Carlisle, Esme, the rest of the family? What would they think of you if you killed her? _It was always so easy for me to deny my thirst for their blood. But now . . . this one girl could be the thing to undo everything my father had worked so hard to build for us.

Now I was being unreasonable. It would not be the girl's fault, even though there were no words to describe the beauty of her aroma. I knew that only I would be to blame if I slipped up. I refused to be weak. I would not give up everything had, simply for my thirst.

And then there was the fact that I couldn't just read her mind like I could with others. What was wrong with me? I could read Alice just fine. The silence that filled the large house was so unfamiliar. A world without voices in my head was foreign to me.

Maybe I shouldn't have done it but I couldn't stop myself from walking slowly out my door and down the stairs. _I'm just going to check on her, make sure she's okay_. But I couldn't help thinking that there was something else pulling me towards Alice's room on the second floor. Something besides her blood. Something besides chivalry.

I stopped outside Alice's room, taking a deep breath through my mouth. _Don't do anything stupid_, I reminded myself. I paused with my hand on the door handle, listening to the soft beating of her heart.

_Thump thump . . . thump thump . . . thump thump._

Each quiet sound rang out with the life that I would never have. And, for the first time in over a hundred years, I longed to be human again. For blood to run through my veins. To be young and carefree. To never have to live in this world of darkness and demons. To not be this monster that was likely to kill the innocent girl who slept, mere feet from me, simply because she smelled delicious.

Okay, delicious was an understatement. She was utterly and entirely irresistible. Even that could not describe the attraction her blood had to me.

That was when I realized that I _wasn't _strong enough. I had never felt so helpless. Drowning in this sweet world of scents that made me itch with longing. Powerless to resist, to deny the monster what he needed. And what he needed was blood. I _couldn't _be near her. It wasn't safe.

With that thought in my head I dashed back to my room, slammed the door, collapsed onto my knees, not strong enough, never good enough. Always alone.

The silence was new to me. Of course I had been away from everyone before. Just to think, to remember who I was. Not get caught up in what the rest of the world was preoccupied with at that moment in time. It was necessary for my sanity.

But this was different. There was someone else with me, yet no thoughts came from her. I couldn't see her dreams, or tell what existed in the depths of her mind. Yet, she was _there_. Alive, barely. Abused and tortured to the point of suicide, but still alive. I could hear the faint beats of her heart and the tiny exhaled breaths. But there was not a thought coming from her. Nothing to prove that she was even thinking at all.

I questioned my sanity for what felt like the millionth time that night. _What was wrong with me?_

Bella's POV

Floating. Falling. Swaying. Reveling in these new feelings.

Swooping. Drifting. Descending. Peaceful and pain-free.

A world of darkness that was so full of life. The movement, the sensations.

Suspended in this black expanse of space. Unable, unwilling, to leave, to break free.

Never to suffer again, never to fear for my life every waking hour. Because now I was safe. _So this is what it was like to die. _

But the angel had told me not to kill myself. He had ripped the gun from my hand. Made me stop. But if I wasn't dead . . . what happened?

I realized that I was slowly becoming conscious, once more. I could sense light coming from outside my suspened world of serenity. With a great effort, I slowly pulled my eyes open.

There was a eery glow cast by the moon which shone from behind me. From what I could see there was a large room around me. I was lying in the center of a bed, with fluffy blankets and pillows surrounding me on all sides. It was warm and comfortable.

This had to be heaven. And if it was hell, then it was a thousand times better than the world I used to live in. Whatever it was, I would take it.

A tingling numbness filled my whole body. I wasn't experiencing any pain. Emotional or physical. Perfect.

I let the feeling take over me, and was swept up into the blackness again.

**I'm starting the next chapter right now so I can update tomorrow. REVIEW!!**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: the Twilight series belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

Alice's POV

I stayed near the house to hunt, all the while keeping a close eye on Edward's future. That way, I would be close enough to stop him if he even thought about doing something to harm Bella. He kept changing his mind. One second he was standing beside Bella as she slept peacefully. The next, he was pacing his bedroom attempting to reason with himself. But never once did he try to kill her. That was encouraging.

I finished off a deer then settled down on the ground. My back rested against a giant redwood tree that reached up proud and tall, into the endless gray sky. I took a deep breath and looked into the future.

The first thing I saw was Carlisle. He had sent in a job application to the Fork's General Hospital and it was going to be accepted.

He was driving here from Denali. The shiny black Mercedes zipped through winding roads. Executing each turn with the precision that no human could ever hope to achieve. He was coming to help us. And he would arrive in less than twenty-four hours. A huge grin broke out over my face. Carlisle would know what to do.

The rest of my family was still with Tanya's coven. They were packing up our belongings and piling them into the three cars that they were planning to drive down. Rosalie's BMW, Emmet's Jeep, and Edward's Volvo. They would get here in a few days after they had finished destroying all evidence that we had lived in Denali.

But for some reason I could only see things that weren't far from occurring. Someone had yet to make up their mind. That frustrated me to no end. How unfair. That must have been what everyone else felt like. I had no idea how to plan for our futures when I didn't see what was coming.

However, for now, I had to try and do something to help Bella out of this mess. So I plucked myself up, dusted the dirt off my jeans, and headed home.

It wasn't long before I reached the house. Edward was in his room on the third floor.

_I'm back._ I called out to him in my mind, as I stood by the door to my room. _Miss me? _He remained silent. _Ouch, that hurts Edward. You're lack of brotherly love really does nothing for my self-esteem. _

He spoke to me without moving "I decided that you were confident enough in yourself already. No need to over-inflate your large head."

I let out a dramatic sigh. "Just thought you'd like to know that Carlisle is on his way. I'm going to check up on Bella now."

With that said, I pushed open the door to find Bella snoozing right where I had left her. I crept carefully over to my bed and perched upon the edge.

Gently brushing the hair out of Bella's face, I whispered softly to her. "You're going to be safe now. I promise."

Then she let out the single most heartbreaking noise I had heard in my entire existence. One muffled, strangled cry that would haunt me forever. She shifted in her sleep, turning over to rest on her side.

As she rolled to face the other direction, she gasped out loud. Her eyes flew open and looked around frantically. Breathing heavy and labored, she clutched her ribs. She focused on my face, eyes still wild and afraid.

I was at a loss for how to comfort her. My hand reached out to her and Bella immediately flinched away from my touch. "I'm going to protect you Bella. I won't let anything bad happen to you again."

I could tell that she was still in pain but she hid it from her expression well. She allowed me to stroke her cheek and her heart rate decreased from it's previously racing pace.

Bella drifted off a again but this time, she was anything but peaceful. She tossed and turned constantly, probably worsening her injuries. Every once and awhile she would mutter incomprehensible words.

The next twenty-four hours went by painfully slow. I didn't dare move Bella, because I was scared of hurting her even more. Edward didn't pay any attention to what was going on and he didn't come down the entire time

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

I heard Carlisle approaching and I dared to leave Bella's side for the first time. I ran outside to meet him.

"Where is she?" He asked, immediately getting down to business. That was one of the many things I loved about my father.

"In my room." I stated quickly. We dashed back into the house and up the first flight of stairs. I pointed to my bed and Carlisle hurried to examine Bella.

"Oh my God." He whispered as he pulled back the covers to reveal the frail, battered girl. "Alice, I can't treat her here. Do you think I carry around IVs and X-ray machines in a little black bag?"

"No, but I hoped you could do _something_." I said desperately. "Please. If I was having visions of her from that far away, she is obviously important. She isn't just another human."

He thought for a millisecond before answering. "I'll take her to the hospital while I'm applying for a job there. Somebody else will tend to her until I can."

"But I don't trust anyone else." I whined.

"I'm sorry but it's the only thing I can come up with. She needs serious attention. And soon."

"You're right." I replied, defeated.

"We'll help heal her." He promised. Then he proceeded to scoop Bella's trembling body into his arms. He walked carefully with her and placed her gently in the back seat of his car. I bounced along behind them, anxious to get to the hospital.

We arrived there in record time. Together we pushed through the automatic sliding glass doors into a reception area. It was sterilized and cold just like every other hospital I had ever been to. The awful smells of dying people hit my nose with such force that I almost lost my footing.

Carlisle approached the desk, still holding Bella. I had my excuses ready-made. "Quickly, help us. _Please_." I looked at the woman sitting there and I didn't even have to pretend to be worried.

"What can I help you with?" She said in a bored voice as though the bruised girl was hardly worth her interest.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen." He could sense my stress so he took over for me. "I applied for a job here and I arrived early."

As soon as she caught sight of Carlisle's face I knew that she would do whatever he pleased.

"Ah," she sat up straighter, straightening her hair and batting her eyelashes. I nearly gagged. "Yes, Dr. Cullen. Dr. Gerandy told me to be expecting you."

It amused me that she was so focused on his looks that she paid no attention to Bella.

"Dr. Green is retiring and he still hasn't finished clearing out his office yet. But when he does it will be all yours. Would you like me to show you around?"

"No thank you." He said politely. Her face fell. "I just wanted to start work early. Get to know the place. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course," she said, still eager to please. "Here are your things."

She got up quickly and gathered up a pair of clean scrubs and a new name tag from a back table. She shoved them towards him on the counter without noticing that his hands were full. I grabbed them instead.

"Well that went easier than expected." I whispered as we walked away.

"That was the easy part." He said sadly glancing down at Bella.

**It actually takes 48 hours to drive from Alaska to Washington but let's just say that Carlisle had already left and he was driving twice the normal speed limit. **

**I know you guys were looking forward to a little Bella-Edward interaction but it didn't work out. Maybe next chapter. REVIEW!!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ok, here's the deal. I'm getting bored with writing pointless fluff (not romantic fluff, just stupid fluff that hardly moved the plot along) like the last chapter. It just takes up space so I'm going to get to the good stuff. :P **Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Series.

Carlisle's POV

Bella had been in the ICU for the past week. We had kept her under with many pain medications and she hadn't opened her eyes the entire time. It was better that way.

While in her drug-induced sleep, I was able to take the first step in healing Bella physically. Her emotional health was another matter. That was one of the reasons we decided to sedate her. Bella couldn't get better if she was scarred.

So, under my watchful eyes, her broken bones were set and her cuts were treated for infection. Nutrients had been pumping through her system. She was malnourished and terribly underweight. Not much improvement had been made but I could see the subtle difference.

I even contacted her father, against my better judgement, but it was a procedure that couldn't be avoided. He had acted angry on the phone as I explained to him that Bella had fallen down a flight of stairs. I said that we had received a 911 call from a neighbor saying that they had heard a scream. (All the records had been carefully foraged, courtesy of Alice). When he calmed down enough, he asked to see her.

From what Alice had told me about the relationship between Bella and Charlie Swan, I knew that I was not letting that man anywhere near her. I said that her condition was too severe to allow any visitors. Had it not been for my acute hearing, I would have missed his low curse. But I pretended to wish him a good day, being careful to keep the acid from my voice.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Alice's POV

For all of that week I spent my time flitting between the hospital and our home. Edward spent the entire time locked up in his room. We never spoke to each other. I could sense that he didn't want me to bother him.

I tried to make the house livable once more to save Esme some work. They we due to arrive the next day and I couldn't wait for our family to be complete again. And I missed Jasper. No words could describe how much I needed him.

I also made sure to keep a close eye on our futures. Bella was safe at the hospital with Carlisle for now but her father was anxious to get her back. The things he planned on doing to her when she returned home were too horrible to watch.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Edward's POV

Everyone was waiting on pins and needles for something to change. Bella was healing according to Carlisle, but barely. We had spoken a few times when he had returned home to "sleep". She was still in a critical condition but at least Carlisle could keep her safe while she was at the hospital.

I felt terrible the whole time that I remained locked in my bedroom. I was the one who actually kept Bella from killing herself. Yet, here I was, distant from my family, doing my best to appear unconcerned about the tiny human.

But the truth was that all I could think about was Bella. Everything about her was different. I was frustrated by the fact that I couldn't read her mind. Her scent was enough to make me go mad. The man she called a father abused her and she had recently attempted suicide.

I knew that the best thing would be to keep my distance from her. But I had to see for myself that she was getting better.

So, I slipped into fresh jeans and pulled a comfortable sweater over my head. Then I sprinted down the stairs and left the house for the first time in seven days. It was dark outside and I vaguely wondered what time it was. Ignoring Alice's shouts, I hopped into my Vanquish and backed out of the garage in one swift motion.

The twisting roads of this small town were still familiar to me even after so many years. It was nice to know that I could still do something correctly. It was easy to navigate the sporty little car around darkened street corners.

Finally, I turned sharply into the hospital parking lot and skidded to an abrupt halt. I jumped out, slamming my door behind me. I had to remind myself to walk at a human pace to the entrance where I was greeted by an overly-helpful receptionist. Paying no attention to her, I brushed by and headed down the hall, with no idea of where to go.

I picked through the worried thoughts of doctors, relatives, and patients, searching for Carlisle. Eventually, I found the calm 'voice' of my father. He was tending to another man who had a fractured wrist. _Is that you I heard driving like a maniac, Edward? _I could detect the note of poorly concealed joy. He was happy that I had finally left my self-induced solitude.

At a pace that felt much too slow, I strolled upstairs. Outside the door, I paused, listening to Carlisle talking to the man.

"Yes, it is fractured," he spoke in a soothing tone. _I'll be finished in one second. _"But it's nothing serious. I'm going to send you over to Dr. O'Brien. She's the orthopedic surgeon and she will set the bone in a cast."

A stout man in his late forties waddled out of the room. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw me standing there wearing an impatient expression. I slid past him without any acknowledgment.

Carlisle was washing his hands in the porcelain sink and he didn't look up when I entered.

"How is she?" I questioned him in a rush.

"She is the same as she was yesterday when I came home." But his thoughts all centered around the Rosetta Stone, translating the passage from hieroglyphs to ancient Greek.

"What happened?" I snarled.

My father put his finger to his lips. "Quiet," he warned. Then he sighed. "We discovered that she had some internal bleeding but she's better now. It wasn't terrible but it was very frightening for a while. We managed to stop it and she's been doing fine."

"But . . ." I said impatiently. I could sense that there was something else he wanted to say.

"I'm just worried about what is going to happen to Bella once she's released." He explained. I nodded, I knew exactly how he felt. "I've been able to keep her father away for now. But he does have a right to see her."

"Where is she?" I asked softly. I needed proof that she really was okay.

"You're sure you can handle it?" He was genuinely concerned but that didn't stop me from letting out a low growl. I would prove to him that I _was _strong enough to be around Bella. I wasn't a killer.

Carlisle held up his hands as if he was surrendering. _Follow me, _he thought.

We walked through corridors that smelled of sweat, blood, and death. After what seemed like hours, Carlisle stopped and pointed towards room 713. The sweet scent of Bella floated around me, filling my mind. But I refused to let the monster take me over.

_She probably won't wake up. Just be careful, please. _

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

**EEP!! GO EDWARD!!**

**Warning: Major bragging coming up — This story has been nominated for an award!! The Denali Coven website is having a competition to find the BEST fanfics on the internet. And this is nominated for Darkest Fic. Link to the site is going on my profile. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you everyone for your amazing reviews. They are the reason I didn't give up on this story. **Disclaimer: The Twilight series is not mine, no copyright infringement intended.

Bella's POV

Suffocating.

The darkness clogged my pores.

Have to break free.

No body. Not even there.

No sense of time or space.

Simply blackness.

Demons surrounded me.

Whispering evil words.

Clammy hands dragging me down.

Down.

Down.

Down.

Deeper and deeper into the endless abyss.

Need to get out.

Death was no longer peaceful.

This was hell.

No angels existed here.

Only the demons swirling and twirling,

dancing their sinister dance.

They called to me through the night,

speaking the words I was afraid to hear.

"Never good enough. . ."

"Always alone . . ."

"Couldn't you ever do something right. . ."

"It's all your fault. . ."

Clawing me from the inside out.

Pain flared through me,

nails digging, ripping me apart.

The demons savored every slash.

Wishing to scream,

but finding no voice.

Wanting to cry,

but having no tears.

Anything to express this torture.

This was what I deserved,

for never doing enough for my dad.

They had me now, the demons.

Clutched in their cold arms,

unable to find my way out.

I needed to breath,

had to move,

fight the icy winter.

But it was winning,

taking me over, piece by piece.

I couldn't let them have me.

Every time I tried to move up,

I met a cloudy barrier.

Intangible,

Not impossible.

Anyone else could swim through with ease.

But not me,

life was never simple for me.

Pushing upwards,

willing myself to move.

Yet I wasn't strong enough.

I was shoved back roughly,

tumbling down to the demons' home.

I had nothing to continue for.

Why not give up?

No savior was waiting for me,

standing on the other side of this blockade,

with arms wide open to hold me.

There were no happy endings for me.

I was never the fairytale princess,

no prince would ever love me.

I was one of them,

the demons.

Cold,

cruel,

unforgiving.

That was what I would become.

I accepted my fate,

it wasn't as if I could ask for any more.

With that thought, I let go,

let my self fall down.

Down.

Down.

Down.

Gusts of invisible wind rushed around me.

Then, with a deafening crash,

a loud slash,

I shattered the calm waters.

Eyes flew open,

limbs flailed.

Gasping like a newborn baby,

coming out for it's first breath of air.

Sticky sweat covered every inch of my body,

trembling,

shaking.

My heart thudded in my chest.

Raw, unconcentrated panic

bolted through me.

Until I saw the face.

Strikingly familiar,

yet still completely foreign.

My angel . . .

**I just finished reading the book ****Crank**** (if you like depressing stories go read it), so I'm I kinda poetic mood. Tell me if you liked it! next chapter has both Bella and Edward. Awake and talking to each other (FINALLY).**


	10. Chapter 10

**Whoot!! Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended. All characters belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.**

Bella's POV

Now I was even more confused than before. I had almost shot myself, then he had stopped me. Next I felt like I was in heaven, then I fell through hell. And when I woke up, my angel was here. _What is going on?_

I couldn't look away from those stunning golden eyes. _Wait . . . golden_. What the hell? When he had wrenched the gun from my hand, I distinctly recalled the frightening coal black eyes. But now, they were a deep topaz color, filled with shock and confusion.

Suddenly, the world hit me with the force of a train wreck. Several things became apparent all at once. I had my body back, and it was filled with a tingling numbness that flowed through me like poison. A loud, nasal beeping filled my ears. Its tempo increased rapidly, at the same rate as my wild heart. I glanced around frantically and recognized the room immediately.

_The hospital._

A sinking feeling of fear and hopelessness filled me. The pounding of blood in my head was unbearable.

"Shit." I said in a low, raspy voice. My throat felt dry like I had spent days in a desert with no water.

I began to cough violently and my entire body shook. When I tried to lift my hand to cover my mouth, I was stopped by a thin wire. It was attached to a bag of fluids on one end, and a needle which had been jabbed into my wrist and taped down, on the other.

My breathing refused to slow and I was starting to grow dizzy from the lack of oxygen. I attempted to lift myself up into a sitting position. However, when I did so, a cold hand pushed my shoulder back down.

I let out a tiny shriek at the icy touch. In the mere second that it had made contact with my skin before it was pulled away, it sent an electric shock through my whole body. And, even worse still, it reminded me of the frozen claws of the demons as they clawed at me in my dreams.

I shrank back into the pillow as I looked into my angel's eyes again. They were terrified, as was his beautiful face.

His gentle fingers reached out to me again but I flinched away from his approach. He recoiled as if I had slapped him.

I was still frightened and confused. I needed explanations, but I couldn't find any words.

"Shh." My angel breathed. "I'll explain everything, I promise. Just please try to calm down. _Please._"

The panicked edge to his voice made me want to do anything to end his anxiety. With great concentration, I took deeper breaths and the hammering in my head slowly decreased.

"Thank you." He spoke softly, as if to keep from frightening me. His hands were clasped together, to show me that he wasn't going to touch me again.

I simply stared at him, a million questions burning in my eyes.

With a resigned sigh, he began. "My name is Edward. I just moved to Forks with my family. And I know your name, Bella. My father works here."

"So," I cleared my sore throat before continuing. "I'm not dead . . ."

"No," he replied. "But it was a close call."

A moment of silence passed. I decided to break it first. "If you think I'm satisfied, you are sadly mistaken."

I knew that I should have been angry, but I was too exhausted from my coughing fit. I was also almost positive that there were still drugs pumping through my system, keeping me in this drowsy state.

"I don't know where to start." He confessed.

"Try the beginning." I was exasperated now. Scared out of my wits too, but I hid that part well. I was used to pretending to be strong.

"Well, I was driving by your house with my sister Alice. We saw you in an upstairs window with a gun to your head. What would you have done in that situation? Stand by and let another person kill themselves?

"The front door was unlocked, so we ran in and I took the gun from you. Then you passed out and we drove you to the hospital. You've been out cold for about a week."

I had stayed quiet through his entire story until this point. "A _week_!" I screeched.

"Shh." He said again, frantically trying to console me. When my racing heart rate refused to slow, he called out. "Carlisle, help!"

How was Charlie getting fed? Who was taking care of him while I wasn't there? He was going to kill me for getting caught, for almost exposing him. _But you wanted to die_. I reminded myself.

Yet, I hadn't thought about what he would do if I was gone. Selfish me, as always. I only considered my own pain, not what it would do to my father.

I hadn't noticed that tears were building behind my eyelids. My vision blurred as I choked back a sob.

The door of the dull white room cracked open and a foggy figure entered.

"She's awake?" A man's voice asked in a professional tone.

"Really," My angel said sarcastically. No, he wasn't an angel. His name was Edward. He wasn't an angel and I wasn't dead. "I hadn't noticed."

The other man didn't reply, he merely brushed past Edward to stand beside me.

"Bella," he said soothingly. "I'm Dr. Cullen. I'm going to give you something to calm you down, alright?"

I nodded my head, but only because he was really leaving the choice up to me. I looked away as he approached me with a needle. There was a slight pinch at the inside of my elbow, and I winced as the liquid was injected.

The effect was immediate. My breathing deepened and my heart slowed to a normal pace. My head cleared of all unpleasant thoughts. A little voice in the back of my mind told me that not thinking clearly probably wouldn't help me. But, the feeling of serenity was so intense that I beyond the point if caring.

"Edward, out." Dr. Cullen ordered.

"But —"

"_Now_." And, with that, Edward scampered out of the room.

"Okay, Bella." He began. "You have a few broken ribs and several other half-healed bones. There are bruises and cuts on almost every inch of your skin. And the burn on your upper arm is infected."

I kept my face carefully blank as he recited my injuries. I knew what the consequences would be if I didn't keep my mouth shut.

"I have sufficient reason to suspect abuse." He stared at me pointedly, as if he wanted me to admit to it. When I said nothing, he continued. "I'm not going to say anything, Bella. But I know, remember that. I'm always here if you need something."

I tried my best to hide my fear, and the sedatives only made it easier. They kept my heart from thundering at an unhealthy pace.

"Your father has been asking to see you." He said. At this, my heart literally skipped a beat. "You have been in a critical condition and I chose not to allow any visitors. However, now that you are awake . . . What I'm trying to say is that I can't keep him away forever."

_Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!! _My head screamed at me. But, the drugs in my body refused to let me react. I simply nodded. _He knows. He knows that it's Charlie who beats me. _

He looked at me, the sadness was apparent in his eyes. Suddenly, a little ringing noise made me jump in surprise. Dr. Cullen, however, pulled a small black pager from his pocket.

"I'm sorry, Bella," He told me with his calm mask back in place. "But duty calls. I'll be back to check on you later."

He paused with his hand on the door knob. "Edward wants to see you. May he come in?"

I bit my lip and asked the question that was burning on the tip of my tongue. "Does he know?"

Dr. Cullen seemed taken aback by my question. He regained his composure in a second and answered me. "Yes, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told him."

_Now they both knew. Perfect. _

"Promise me something," I whispered.

"Anything." Dr. Cullen said, trying to reassure me. I was positive that he understood the conflict in my mind.

"Don't tell anyone else. You can't." I was desperate to keep this quiet. Gossip traveled quickly in a small town like Forks.

"I promise." Then he was gone.

A second later, Edward came back through the door. He looked at me with anguished eyes. I glanced away, focusing on a spot on my starchy sheets.

"You don't deserve what he does to you." Edward's tone was soft and tormented.

I wished more than anything that I could believe his words. I shook my head, still not meeting his gaze.

"I'm serious," and he sounded it, too. "No one should have to go through with that kind of torture. Do you hear me? _No one_."

A soft hand rested on my cheek. Instead of pulling away, I relaxed into his touch. Shivers ran down my spine from the frosty feeling of his fingers.

"I won't hurt you, Bella." Something in the way he said this make me think that there was a double meaning to his words. Like he was trying to reassure himself as much as me.

"I want to help you."

"Why?" My voice was unintentionally harsh.

His hand twitched gently, forcing me to look at him. "Because no one should wish for death. No one should be driven to the point of taking their own life. It's not right. And you don't seem to want to help yourself. Why don't you just tell someone?"

I let out a humorless barking laugh. "Who would believe me? Charlie is the police chief. Besides, did you ever consider the fact that maybe I was tired of living the lie everyday? Death was a painless alternative that I chose to take. Once I get out of here, there's no one stopping me from doing it again."

It surprised me how easy it was to talk about committing suicide again. Although, I had a sneaking suspicion that the medicine Dr. Cullen had given me had something to do with it.

"That's what I'm here for." He replied smugly. "I want to show you that there is a life worth living."

I merely rolled my eyes at him.

"You really should get back to sleep. It would be good for you."

He removed his fingers from my skin, leaving a tingly feeling in my cheek. "I'll come back tomorrow, if that's okay with you."

"Yes," I said a little too quickly. "I mean, it would be nice to have some company."

"Of course," he chuckled as he turned his back to me, shutting the door behind him.

_Why did I just agree to that?_ He seemed like a decent person but I had learned long ago that people couldn't be trusted. I tried to think of some logical reason for wanting him to return, but nothing came to mind.

I recalled the things he had told me about "saving" my life. Something about his story didn't make sense. It was as if there was some missing piece to the puzzle, something that didn't quite fit.

Eventually, I drifted off into an uneasy sleep and awoke the next day feeling more tired than before.

**My longest chapter ever!! Happy Mother's Day everyone. **

**Just a note: voting for the Denali Coven's contest starts May 15****th****. I would be lying if I said that I didn't want to win but I don't want it to turn into a popularity contest either. Vote for the story you like best. The link is on my profile.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm back. Sorry guys, I've been locked in a cave for the past 2 days reading The Host (it's actually really good and not what I expected at all. It still has nothing on Twilight, duh). But that's not my point. You demanded more B&E and I live for nothing more than to serve my awesome readers, and the awesome-er ones who review!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Twilight series. They belong to Stephenie Meyer and always will.

Bella's POV

Edward had stayed true to his promise. Everyday for the past week, he had come by my room in the hospital. Sometimes he would only remain for a few minutes but, usually, we would sit and talk for hours on end.

He never once mentioned Charlie or my failed suicide attempt. I was grateful for his understanding. It always surprised me that he truly seemed to care about me. I kept reminding myself that he was probably only trying to maintain my sanity on his fathers orders.

Dr. Cullen was an amazing doctor and an even better man. He never told another soul about my father's abuse. Although, I suspected Edward's sister knew what was going on.

Alice had come to visit me to. She was eccentric and enthusiastic, sometimes it got rather tiering. Edward or Dr. Cullen often had to drag her out of my room because she was becoming too excited. She wanted to take me shopping and do my hair and just generally torture me for her own entertainment.

It was funny watching Edward and Alice arguing with each other. They always found something to disagree upon, like only siblings could. That was why it came as such a shock to me when I heard that they were adopted. It did explain why Dr. Cullen was so young, though.

I was already getting caught up into this strange new world. A family that cared about each other . . . and me. All three of them were kind and loving in their own ways. It was as if they had accepted me already.

That week of lying in a hospital bed was quickly turning into the best seven days of my life. The Cullens almost made me forget about what was waiting for me back at home . . . almost.

The shock hit me like an ice cold bucket of water being dumped over my head. That was the day I woke up, looked at my situation with realistic eyes for the first time sine I had awoken in the hospital.

It was so sudden, unexpected. I was sitting with Edward in my room. Dim sunlight filtered through the curtained window.

"I brought you some books to read." He had said, just as cautiously as ever, holding out a small pile of paperback novels. "Just some that I found when we were unpacking. I don't know how long you're going to be trapped here, so I figured you would want something else to do. —"

"Thank you," I had cut of his unnecessary rambling. "I was actually hoping to get something to read soon. What books did you get?"

And, with that, he began to list off the titles and authors for me. They all sounded interesting. Some I had heard of before, others were completely foreign to me.

It had been awkward between us at first but we soon bonded. Yet there were still strained silences where I was sure he was thinking of what Charlie did to me. I could see the worry and anger flash across his perfect features. Then there were times when his fingers would accidently brush across my skin, sending a jolt of electricity through my body. He always pulled away instantly but the tingly sensation remained, as did the urge to reach out and touch him again.

I had just selected a book to start with, when the door burst open, causing both me and Edward to jump in surprise. Dr. Cullen had come marching in, anxiety replacing his normally serene mask.

"What's wrong?" I questioned, my voice cracking.

He took a deep breath before beginning. "You are doing much better."

I nodded, I was _feeling _better, too. Under his watchful eyes and Edward's distractions, I was making a full recovery. I couldn't see what was causing him this stress.

Edward sat in the chair next to my bed, body tense, his expression mirrored his father's. Dr. Cullen couldn't meet my eyes as he spoke. "Well, it's about time you go home. There isn't much else I can do for you here."

My breath caught in my throat as soon as I heard the word 'home'. I knew what awaited me there.

"I'm sorry, Bella." He said sadly. Edward still had not made a sound. "He's been calling everyday. He wants to know when you can come back and I'm running out of excuses."

The crushing pain in my chest was too much to bare. It's weight dragged me down, submerged me in an icy ocean, leaving me gasping for air. Tears stung my eyes and I blinked them back, furiously.

I had known that this was coming. Yet, I had let myself hope that, somehow, my life could be turned around. It was stupid, I'll admit, to let myself grow close to Edward, Alice, and even Dr. Cullen. They were the first people to show me anything resembling human compassion in ten years.

I was suddenly aware that Dr. Cullen had left my room. Edward's cool hand rested on my cheek. He whispered soothing words to me, but they meant nothing.

"Bella? Bella, please listen to me." His voice was low and hushed. "It's going to be alright. I promise. I'm not going to let him hurt you."

My heart clenched in agony, wishing I could believe him. But I knew that the truth couldn't be ignored anymore. This past week, I had forgotten the fact that I could never be just another teenager. I had responsibilities.

I flipped over, burying my head in my pillow. The tears escaped then, they soaked my face as violent sobs racked my frame. Edward let his hand fall when I moved.

I cringed away when I felt him stroke my hair. "I'm so sorry, Bella."

I don't know how long we stayed like that. Me crying my eyes out, and him confused and longing for a way to erase my pain.

"You don't have to go back," Edward after what felt like hours. "You could tell someone, get yourself out."

My words were muffled because I kept my head pressed into the pillow. "I told you before, I'm not going to say anything. And neither are you."

"That's one thing that I can't guarantee."

"You have to." I said, finally rolling over to face him. "I've been dealing with this for a long time. In three years I'll be eighteen. Then I can move out."

"Not good enough." We were both angry now. "I'm not going to let you go back there and get hurt again."

"It's not your choice to make." I spat. I wasn't even sure why I was reacting like this. The flood of emotions was doing nothing to help my think clearly.

We stared at each other for an immeasurable period of time. Then his expression softened. It filled with nothing but sympathy and sorrow. I turned away again, I did not want anyone's pity.

"There's nothing you can do, Edward. I've let this go on for too long. It's not fair to you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I broke everything I ever stood for by getting closer to you. I had learned a long time ago that trust can only lead to a shattered heart."

"Bella, listen to me." He spoke firmly. "It's not like that. There is a whole world out there. People do care about each other. It's not your fault that you have had this life."

"Maybe it is, maybe I do deserve all of it."

"No! God, Bella, I could kill him for making you think this way." I flinched away from the venom in his voice.

"I'm going back," I said so quietly that I was surprised when he responded.

"Why?" Edward thundered.

"What other choice do I have? He's my father." I knew my fate, I accepted it.

"Well, I hope you're happy. Because your 'father' is coming to pick you up in about an hour." The pain of hearing this cut through my heart with a knife.

A moment of silence passed. Tears welled up behind my eyes and flowed down my cheeks. Edward just stood there, his chest heaving.

Then he seemed to realize what he had said. A look of horror spread across his angelic features and he dropped to his knees beside me.

"God, I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't mean it. Please forgive me." His tone was broken.

"Just go, Edward. It's better for both of us." My voice cracked. I had let myself depend on him already and I couldn't go on any longer.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered as he rose to his feet. Then he left . . . he was really gone.

I sobbed into my hands again. Agony crashed over me in waves. _It's safer. You'll get over it. It's safer._ Those thoughts ran through my head over and over. But they were not enough to ease my suffering.

XxXxXxXxXxX

I sat in the front seat of the police cruiser, Charlie beside me. Neither of us spoke.

The strained silence lasted for the entire car ride. However, I could feel the hostility rolling off of him.

We made hit home without a word. I hopped out as soon as the car was safely stopped in the driveway. Maybe if I made it up to my room fast enough, he wouldn't —

"Where do you think you're going?" Charlie sneered. I halted in my tracks, one foot on the edge of the staircase.

"I told you what would happen if you were ever caught. Good thing you're a klutz. It makes a great cover story. And that stupid doctor of yours believed it. Ha!"

I watched from the corner of my eye as he bent over. When Charlie stood up, there was an empty beer bottle clutched in his hand.

He took a step closer to me. As he did so, his arm flew out. The glass bottle smashed against the living room wall, sending tiny shards flying across the room. I winced as a few of them sliced my face.

Charlie moved forward, still holding the neck of the bottle. The end was jagged, like a shark's teeth.

"I thought you would learn." His mouth twisted up into a sick grin. "Maybe a little reminder would do you some good."

He was inches from me now. A sharp, stabbing pain hit my stomach as he dragged the rough, broken edge of the bottle down my abdomen. It cut through my shirt easily, slicing the tender skin underneath.

"You're lucky that you're going to school tomorrow, or it would be much worse." Charlie sauntered up the stairs, humming to himself. I sank to the floor clutching my bleeding ribs. Every breath caused me unbearable pain.

It was then that I remembered why I had held the gun to my head in the first place.

I crawled up to my room, holding my stomach. Once there, I wrapped myself in several shirts to stop the bleeding. I was lightheaded from the scent. When I was sure that it was secure enough, I lugged myself to my bed and let unconsciousness take over.

**Don't hate me! Good things are coming, I promise.**

**Good news! I made it to the top 4 in the Denali Coven's competition. Voting started today (hint, hint!!) Link's on my profile!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you everyone who voted!! I love you all! I got an honorable mention. That means that I didn't win or get runner up but they thought I deserved recognition! I AM SOOOOOO HAPPY!! **

**And I have to give a great big shout out to you guys who review. Seriously, it just makes my day to come home and see that I have passed 200! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters.**

Bella's POV

_Beep, Beep, Beep . . ._

The familiar ring of my alarm clock announced that it was time for me to wake up. I groaned aloud. That brought a sudden throbbing pain to my abdomen.

_Beep, Beep, Beep . . . _

I knew that I was back in my own house. Charlie had sliced open the skin on my stomach. I knew it wasn't a dream. Everything was too real to be a dream. Yet, a part of me couldn't help but hope that I was still lying in my hospital bed.

_Beep, Beep, Beep . . ._

Finally, I reached over and pressed the button to turn off the alarm. I rolled out of bed carefully, listening for sounds coming from Charlie's room. The only things I could hear were his deep snores.

That was the reason I woke up at 5'oclock in the morning. Charlie wouldn't be up for an hour and, by that time, I could be out of the house.

The pain had still not eased, so I walked as quietly as possible to the bathroom to inspect the damage. Once the door was locked behind me, I gently lifted my shirt.

Dried blood covered my makeshift bandages. I undid them to reveal even more blood. The sight alone was enough to make me faint. I touched one of the gashes and hissed softly. A shower was definitely out. There was no way that I could stand the sting.

You would think that, after all this time, I might just get used to the pain. Ten years and it still hurt just as much as the first day.

I grabbed a washcloth and got it wet in the sink. With it, I did my best to remove most of the blood. Once I was as clean as possible, I stepped back to examine myself in the mirror.

There were three long deep slices, traveling diagonally from the bottom of my rib cage to the edge of my sweats. They hadn't had time to scab over during the night. Several smaller scratches covered my stomach. Quickly, I wrapped myself up in the gauze that I always kept handy. I was disgusted, I couldn't look at myself any longer.

Then I tiptoed as quietly as possible back to my room. My torn and ruined shirts were dumped unceremoniously into the trash can. Jeans replaced the old ratty sweats. I slipped into a fresh t-shirt and an over sized sweat shirt.

It was the same thing I wore almost everyday. Large, baggy clothes were easier to hide in.

Then I dashed down the stairs, and swung my messenger bag over one shoulder. I walked stiffly out the door and hobbled down the steps of the porch.

There were still two and a half hours left until school stared, but I began the short journey anyway. My pace was slower than usual today because I had to be careful of my injury.

I didn't mind walking to school because it was mich safer than asking Charlie for a ride. In less than a year I would have my drivers license. I had been working and Newton's store to earn extra money. Charlie wasn't about to buy me a car.

I made it there with two hours to spare. Most of the teachers had yet to arrive.

_Now what?_ I questioned myself. I was the kind of person who always had to be busy. If I wasn't constantly doing _something,_ it gave my mind time to wander. Whenever that happened, my thoughts turned down unpleasant roads. It was just easier to not think at all.

I retreated behind one of the deserted brick buildings. Settling down on the cold concrete, I pulled out some math homework that I had neglected during my stay in the hospital. I spent the morning working meticulously on any leftover assignments.

When the first bell rang, I shoved my books back into my bag and got up. I winced as the movement tugged at my cuts. Once my face was composed into that indifferent mask that I wore so often, I left my hideout.

I could feel the stares of my classmates following me, but kept my eyes fixed on the ground.

The day passed in a haze of tiredness and each teacher assigned me more makeup work then the previous one. At lunch I took refuge behind another building rather than face the pointless dramas of highschool life.

It was in my fourth period English class that I got a huge wake up call. I stumbled into the room expecting to be the first one there. My heart skipped a beat when I saw who was sitting calmly in a seat in the right-hand corner.

_Edward Cullen._

He looked up when I entered but I averted my gaze. He was the last person I wanted to see. Why did he have to know everything?

Luckily, at that moment, a horde of giggling girls squeezed through the door and surrounded him. Much batting of eyelashes and suggestive hair flips ensued. I could only imagine what vulgar thoughts they were having about the poor guy.

Edward squirmed uncomfortably. He didn't want this attention. That brought a smug smile to my face. I fought to banish it.

Why in the world was I happy about that? It should have meant nothing to me. But there was the little illogical part of my brain that was throwing itself a party.

My head smacked down onto the plastic table and remained there until the end of the period. The second the bell rang I was up and I had left the room before everyone else had started packing their books.

As I was leaving, I heard the unmistakable voice of Edward call out from behind me. "Bella, wait!"

But I was already gone.

XxXxXxXxXxX

The end of the day couldn't have come quickly enough. When I was finally free, I wasted no time at my locker, heading straight for the street.

Suddenly, my foot caught on nothing in particular. I stumbled forward and steadied myself on a low wall. When I leaned over, the tender skin of my gashes split. I could feel the blood start to pool up beneath my shirt.

Then I noticed the scene taking place on the other end of the parking lot. Edward was struggling while being restrained by two burly boys.

Our eyes met over the long distance. His were pitch black and filled with pure rage and hatred. There was also some other emotion, one I couldn't quiet place. It looked almost like . . . hunger.

All of this happened in a split second and the next I was running. I was confused and disoriented from the smell of my own blood.

But what was more perplexing was the look on Edward's face. He had been perfectly friendly a the hospital, but now . . . well, now he looked like he wanted to kill me.

I raced home blindly, smashed through the door, and tripped up the stairs. I locked my room and collapsed on my bed facing the ceiling.

I picked at the scabs on my stomach, reveling in the pain. It was better to focus on the physical agony rather than have to live my own emotions.

**I really wanted to get this chapter out faster. I also wanted it to be longer but I'm leaving for the weekend and you guys deserve something to keep you busy.** **REVIEW!!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Please don't hate me, school will be over in 3 days and then I will be able to update a lot more. I was inspired last night and now I actually have a plan about where this is going! Now I just have to get there . . .**

**Disclaimer: I'm trying to come up with a clever way to tell you that I don't own Twilight . . . is it working?**

Bella's POV

Days and nights blended together as I settled back into my normal routine . . . with one _teeny _complication.

Edward.

He would follow me to my fifth period after English, forced me to find a different hide-out for lunch, and just generally got on my nerves.

Nobody else bothered me anymore. I had pushed them all away in elementary school. Now I was alone, but it was safer that way. None of the student body cared enough about me to ask questions.

But Edward couldn't seem to take a hint. I had been able to avoid him successfully so far, but how long was that going to last?

I don't know exactly how much time had gone by since I had arrived back home. Two weeks, maybe more. The cuts had faded and were no longer in danger of breaking, but my entire middle was still sore.

One day something happened the would change my life forever . . . I tripped.

Whoopie, I know. It's not like I don't trip almost every day. I am Bella, the klutz, after all. But this time was different.

Just after I walked out of English, I stumbled over my own feet. My hands reached out in front of me, expecting to make contact with hard ground. Instead, an arm wrapped around my waist and wrenched me back up ungracefully.

Tears stung my eyes and my stomach ignited in pain from the sudden contact. I spun around and cam face to face with none other than Mike Newton.

He pulled his arm away suddenly as if I had burned him. I backed away quickly, my breath coming in short, quick bursts.

"Umm . . . sorry?" Mike spoke as if he was asking a question.

I simply stared at him with wild eyes for a moment longer, before spinning on my heal and running in the other direction. I always ran, it was what I did best. Just run away and hope that my problems didn't follow.

I pushed through the crowds, like a salmon swimming upstream, desperate to escape. One whisper stuck out above all the rest. "What a freak."

I didn't know why those few words hit me so hard. Probably because they were true. I _was_ a freak. Cold and alone with a heart of ice. Unable to be touched without breaking down. All I knew was that when I heard that, the tears I had been fighting were streaming down my face, drowning me.

Finally, I reached the shelter of the forest that surrounded the school. But I did not stop there. I kept running, stumbling blindly over tree roots, leaves and branches whipping my head and arms.

Suddenly, I fell flat on my stomach, face down in the dirt. At that point I was exhausted and I had no desire to move. So I stayed there, sobbing into the cold ground for who knows how long.

XxXxXxXxXxX

A voice was calling out to me, begging me to wake up. The voice of an angel.

"Bella, can you hear me? Bella, Bella. Oh, _please _be alright. It's Edward, Bella."

_No, no, no, no. _Anyone _but him. Why does he always find me when I'm like this? When I'm the most vulnerable._

I groaned and rolled over, opening my eyes reluctantly. Edward was bending over me, his face only a few inches from mine. My heart beat faltered and I scrambled away. I wasn't expecting him to be so close.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, staring at the ground. The clouds in the sky were heavy and gray and no light escaped them.

My thoughts were still too scrambled to form a coherent sentence so I simply fixed my gaze on a particularly interesting rock.

"Bella?" Great, now he was questioning my sanity. "I won't touch you, I promise. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, I feel great. Just dandy, thanks for asking." I hadn't meant to snap at him and was about to apologize when something dawned on me. "How did you find me here?"

I looked up but Edward wouldn't meet my eyes. "I followed you when you left school." He said sheepishly.

"I nodded mutely then fired off another question. "What time is it?"

"School hasn't even been let out yet."

"You shouldn't have ditched sixth period to come get me." I chastised him.

"You are more important." He spoke so quietly that I wasn't sure that I had heard him correctly.

We just stared at each other in silence, my brow was furrowed in confusion and Edward looked almost amused. Both of us refused to be the first to talk.

Edward finally gave in. "We should probably head back now."

"I guess . . ." I was embarrassed to admit that I had no idea which way to go.

"How exactly were you planning on getting back?" Edward said with a chuckle that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Maybe I wasn't planning on leaving this forest." I retorted, only half joking. I never planned for the future, I took every moment as it came. Failure was easier to deal with when you expected to fail in the first place.

"I see . . ." We lapsed into another awkward silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

"Come on," He said after a while. "I want Carlisle, sorry, Dr. Cullen to have a look at you."

I was indignant. "What makes you think that I need a doctor?"

"Bella," he said slowly, as if he was choosing his words very carefully. "You don't have to keep pretending that everything is alright. We know what your father does to you. I honestly can't figure out why you haven't tried to get help before, but I'm here now. And I want to help you."

"But I still don't need a doctor." I kept my face composed into that indifferent mask that I had worn for the past ten years.

"You're right." I was shocked that he would give in that easily. "What you need is a friend."

I snorted derisively. "A _friend_? My father beats me and you think that I need a friend? I don't think you even realize what this is like for me. This was the first time I have ever said it out loud. To have someone know . . . someone that I don't trust. You have no idea how scary that is." Scary couldn't even describe it.

"God, I am so sorry." He sounded like he meant it. "I really am stupid, aren't I? Not to even consider how hard this is on you. It makes me sick to see what he's done to you."

"I don't want your pity" I was angry and I didn't even know exactly why.

"Please let me be there for you. Not because I feel sorry for you but because I can't stand to see you like this, because I care about you. I understand that you don't trust me but I hope that you will in time. But for now, we need to get out of here or you're going to catch a cold."

"Fine." I replied while taking in his little speech. No one had ever cared about me as far as I could remember and I hadn't had a real friend since kindergarten. Maybe this would be a nice change. _And maybe you are setting yourself up for disappointment. _The voice in the back of my head added cynically. For once I ignored it.

We made our way back through the thick trees to the deserted school grounds. I hadn't realized that I had been gone so long.

I spotted Alice standing beside a shiny silver Volvo with a huge boy with dark curly hair whom I recognized as one of their siblings. Alice was waving furiously at us

When Edward and I approached them, the boy gave me a huge grin and introduced himself. "Hey, I'm Emmett. I've heard lots about you from Edward." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at his brother.

I shot Edward a look that clearly asked how much he told Emmett. He shook his head a fraction of an inch to both sides that told me all I needed to know. Only he, Alice, and Dr. Cullen had a clue about my past.

Alice chose this moment to interject. "So, Bella. I was wondering if you'd like to have a sleepover with me tonight."

"But what about school tomorrow?" I asked quickly, trying to get out of it.

"It's Friday." Replied Alice. I bit my lip hesitantly."Please Bella, it would be fun."

It was impossible to deny her anything when she wore that pout. "Oh, alright." I said. I was reluctant to go because of what Charlie would say. But then it dawned on me that I couldn't let him have complete control over my life forever.

Alice squealed and hopped up and down. "Let's drive by Bella's house and she can grab her stuff and leave a note for her dad."

And so the four of us piled into the car with Emmett at the wheel. "Lead the way, Bella" He shouted, still with that goofy grin on his face.

I was beginning to really like this family, a little too much.

**You guys are amazing, seriously. 61 reviews for one chapter? You make me feel really guilty for not updating faster. I hope this long-ish chapter makes up for it. Next Chapter is Bella at the Cullen's place. Feel free to ask questions and I really appreciate constructive criticism. **


	14. Chapter 14

**SUMMER TIME!! only two more days before summer school starts! O joy...** ** By the way, I changed my penname. Sorry for any confusion! **

**Disclaimer: I'm not stephenie, not copyright here!**

Edward's POV

I hated pretending to be fifteen because it meant that Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were the only ones "old enough" to drive. I sat tensely in the front seat of my precious Volvo as Emmett sped down the street to Bella's house.

_Edward? _Alice spoke to me through her thoughts. _Her father is not home but he won't be happy when he gets back and see that she is gone._

I gave Alice a tiny nod to show that I had heard her. It probably wasn't a great plan in retrospect, making her father angry, but I had to get her out of that house. And, although I wouldn't admit it, I really wanted some time alone with Bella to get her to open up to me. I wanted her trust and I wanted to help.

We pulled up outside the house and Bella jumped out. I watched as she unlocked the front door and went inside. The car was silent as the three of us listened to sounds that no human could have heard. Bella's soft footsteps as she traveled up a flight of stairs, drawers being opened as rifled through, clothes being stuffed roughly into a bag, and finally, the scratching of a pen on paper.

Suddenly, Emmett spoke up. "What is the deal with that girl?" His thoughts toward Bella were slightly negative and they focused on her odd behavior.

I growled at him and his ignorance. True to our word, Carlisle, Alice, and I hadn't told the rest of our family what went on behind that closed door. Although, I had reasons to believe that Carlisle had slipped up and talked to Esme.

"Edward, control yourself." Alice said sharply. "And Emmett, you have no idea what that girl has been through. If you know what's good for you, you won't give her a hard time."

Bella was back then and Emmett's mind was more confused than ever. Thankfully, when Bella hopped into the car, he kept his big mouth shut.

Alice was chattering away with Bella in the backseat. She was back to her usual bubbly self and she was going to use tonight to convince Bella that they would be great friends. Alice was ecstatic that her visions revealed a strong bond between them growing. However, when it came to parts of the future involving Bella and I, my sister kept her mind carefully clouded.

My siblings' reactions to Bella had all been different. Jasper was afraid that her blood would be too strong for him to handle. He had felt the pull I had towards her and didn't want to tempt himself. Emmett was curious as to why Alice and I made such a big deal about her. That was the reason he stayed with us instead of joining Rosalie and Jasper on their hunting trip. Rosalie was horrified that we would even consider spending time with a mere human. She hated the attention being drawn away from herself.

They might have felt differently if they knew the truth but I had made a promise. And I fully intended to keep it.

I winced as Emmett jolted to an abrupt halt outside of our garage. Alice immediately jumped out and pulled Bella along with her.

"You are _never_ driving my car again." I snarled furiously. "Do you understand me?"

My brother simply chuckled. Then he said "Are you ever going to find anyone to spend your life with other than this old car? I mean really, it's sort of pathetic."

I shot him a death glare but even that wouldn't shut Emmett up. "What about that Bella, huh?" He asked, nodding in the direction that the girls had retreated. "She's kinda pretty."

Understatement of the century. She was more than beautiful. Gorgeous, stunning, and more tempting than anyone had a right to be.

_Whoa, where did that come from? _I questioned my sanity. _Shit, this is not good._

"She is a human, Emmett." Thank God I was a good actor. But I knew that it would always work. I couldn't fake indifference forever.

But maybe I wouldn't have to. I could just help Bella, make sure that she was safe. Then my family would move on. I would enjoy the time I spent with her and she would benefit. She didn't even need to know what a monster I was. Nobody would get hurt.

"Whatever. All I'm saying is that in the eighty-odd years I've known you, you've never given any girl the time of day. And now, it hasn't even been a month that you've known her and you are already taking her to your house . . . awfully strange if you ask me." Emmett said and he left with a sly grin on his face. It was almost enough to make me laugh.

I remained in my car for a while longer. I simply sat there, deep in thought. My plan would work as long as I could get Bella to trust me. Then we could leave Forks just like we always did and make one girl's life better in the process.

Finally, I got out and let myself into the house through one of the back doors. It was growing dark outside and I realized that I had lost track of time.

Bella and Alice were just at the top of the large flight of stairs. Bella's nails were painted a deep, blood red color and she was wearing a loose sweatshirt and a pair of old flannel pajama pants. And I had never seen anyone that looked better.

"Like I said Eddie-poo, you're treading dangerous waters."Emmett spoke from behind me. _Just because I don't read minds or sense emotions, doesn't mean that I don't know the look on your face._

I ignored him and focused on Alice and Bella. My sister called my name in her mind. _Edward?_ I met her eyes to show that I was listening. _I've seen what you are trying to do and I'm telling you right now that it isn't going to work._

Just then, Bella caught sight of me. "Oh, hey Edward," she spoke quietly, a soft blush rising to her cheeks. The scent of her blood hit me hard but I refused to acknowledge the venom pooling in my mouth.

"Hey, Bella." Genius response, Edward. I mentally smacked myself in the head at my stupidity.

Thankfully, Alice covered the awkward moment. "We're going to watch a movie. You guys want to join?"

"Sure." Emmett replied. The four of us made our way to the living room. Emmett set up the movie while Alice pulled numerous blankets and pillows from the hall closet. Bella sat down on the couch and lifted her legs up, drawing them to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. I noticed that her toes were painted to match her fingers.

I plopped down next to her, keeping a safe distance between our bodies. "So are you having fun with Alice?"

"Ya, she's crazy but a lot of fun." Bella said with a small smile. By then the opening credits were rolling and Alice had flipped off the lights.

I felt tiny sparks of electricity flying between Bella and me. My skin tingled and my dormant heart seemed more awake than it had since I was human. I was sure that, had I been alive, my pulse would have been racing. It was just one more reminder of why I would never be good enough for her.

Needless to say, I didn't pay much attention to the movie. Finally, it was over and we all retreated up the stairs to our separate rooms.

XxXxXxXxXxX

_Damn, I'm bored. Entertain me Eddie, pweeze!! _Alice was whining at me through her thoughts. _I hate this! Why can't Bella fall asleep already? _

Music was pounding through my headphones but it still wasn't enough to block out my sister's thoughts. I groaned and bashed my head against the wall.

It was about three in the morning and Bella was still awake. Alice had been yelling at me for the past two hours.

_Well, you harming yourself would work, but I'm not there to watch. Wait! Okay, plan on hitting your head again. That way I can _see_ it! _

I growled at her, knowing that she would hear. Instead, I imagined taking a match to ever piece of designer clothing she owned.

_You wouldn't dare. Oh, wait a second she's getting up. She's going to the kitchen and you better be there when she arrives or I with give your precious Volvo a make over._

I was downstairs before she had time to finish her sentence. Then I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps on wood.

I flicked on the small light above the stove just as she came around the corner. Bella jumped slightly when she saw me.

"I-I'm sorry, I . . . couldn't sleep so I . . ." She stuttered. I laughed at her nervous fidgeting.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Bella." I assured her with what I hoped was a kind smile. "I was having trouble sleeping as well. Would you like to go outside?"

"Yes, that sounds nice. It looks pretty clear out tonight."

"Hold on for one minute, it's pretty cold out there." Her eyes followed me as I walked back to the living room and grabbed one of the left over blankets. I returned a wrapped it carefully around her shoulders.

The smile she gave was enough to take my breath away, and I didn't even need oxygen. I opened the door and allowed her to go out to the back yard before me.

"Thanks," she said in a tiny voice. I could tell that she was afraid of me.

I carefully placed one hand on the small of her back, leading not restraining. We walked together to the cushioned porch swing and settled down. She moved over slightly and closed the gap I had left between us.

Both of us gazed up at the stars. She had been right, there was hardly a cloud in the sky. We sat there in silence, caught up in the serenity of this night.

Slowly and gently, so as not to startle her, I slid my arm around her waist. I heard her breath hitch in her throat but she did not pull away. Instead, she leaned over and rest her head on my chest.

I placed my free hand under her chin and turned her face up. Her eyes met mine and I found myself unable to look away.

_Who am I kidding?_ I thought. In that moment I realized that Bella was the most important part of my life. I was changed forever and there was no going back.

**Yay!! fluffy-ish! It only took me 8 . . . 9 (it's about one in the morning her in California) day to write this chapter. I'm getting better! I want to try and write a new one every week. I'm not making any promises but I'm going to try.**

**And now, as usual, it is my time to beg for reviews . . . SO REVIEW!! thanks a bunch.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Not mine- short, sweet, and to the point.**

Bella's POV

I fell asleep in Edward's arms that night. I don't know how I did it. My body was screaming at me, telling me that he wasn't safe the whole time. But my mind knew that he wouldn't hurt me. I don't understand how I knew, but for some reason I did trust him . . . to an extent. I had only met him a short time ago but a part of me knew that I was safe.

And, frankly, when he looked into my eyes, I never wanted him to let go.

I hated this life that I was living. Why else would I try to end it? Maybe Edward really was dangerous, but if that was the case, did I really care? It didn't matter to me if I died.

Another reason I stuck around was because I wanted to know more about the mysterious Cullens. Something didn't quite fit. Alice had forced me to eat a sandwich for dinner last night, but claimed that she wasn't hungry. Come to think of it, I hadn't ever seen them eat.

I woke up the next morning lying in Alice's bed. The little pixie was perched next to me, bouncing impatiently.

"Come on, Bella!" She squealed. "Get up. We have so much to do today." Her words blended together into a jumbled mess and she spoke without drawing breath.

"Alice," I said, then I cleared my throat and tried again. "Alice!"

"What?" She asked innocently.

"I really have to get home." Her face fell as I said this. I hated making her sad. "Look, I'm sorry Alice. But it was really stupid of me to come here. I had a good time, but I really need to go back."

Alice sighed sadly and her lips turned down into a pout. She looked up at me with a heartbreaking expression.

I groaned and said, "Don't do that to me." Then I added in a quieter voice, "You know why I have to leave."

"You're right." Her voice was still sad but now not because I had to go, but because of what I was going back to. "I'm sorry. I'll have Edward take you home."

"But I thought he couldn't drive." I was confused. Alice had told me that the two of them were fifteen and Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper were sixteen.

"He has his permit, and he needs practice before he can get his license."

Although I didn't want to admit it, I was scared. But not for the reasons I should be. Would things be awkward between us after what happened last night? Except that nothing had really happened, but for some reason I felt like things would be different from now on.

I sat there lost in thought, while Alice jumped up and started rummaging through my bag. She clicked her tongue in disappointment as she pulled out the old jeans and ratty shirt I had brought. Alice was a very fashion forward person.

"Really, Bella?" She said, shaking her head. "You were going to wear this?"

"Umm . . . yes?" I spoke as if I was asking her a question.

"Wrong." Was my only answer, before Alice marched through the door to her huge closet. She emerged moments later carrying a pair of dark jeans and a charcoal sweater.

"Here," she said, shoving the clothes at me. Then she shooed me into her bathroom and closed the door behind me.

Once I was alone, I plopped the pile on the counter and stared at myself in the mirror. I had to admit that I didn't like the girl I saw there. She was much too thin, there were bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep, and her skin was much to pale.

But those eyes held more life than I had seen in a long time. Maybe there was hope for me after all.

I quickly slipped into the clothes and they didn't look half bad. Probably much to expensive, but the sweater was very soft and the jeans were almost as comfortable as mine.

I walked out of the bathroom and Alice was there waiting for me. She nodded her head in approval before dragging me over to her vanity. Alice grabbed a long silver chain off of one hook and clasped it around my neck. Then she covered my face in a light foundation and brushed on some mascara.

When she pushed me in front of her full length mirror, I was stunned. It was me, but better. I looked almost human.

Before now I had never had any true friends. Throughout my childhood, I was always alone. I didn't get to experience what being a kid was really like. Alice mad me feel normal. Well, more like a Barbie doll, but I wasn't complaining. I really liked her. Her crazy, bubbly personality clashed with my shy, quiet one. But we got along great.

"Perfect!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands and jumping up and down. "Now let's go get you some breakfast.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Almost eleven." She replied. We walked down the stairs side by side. Then she said, "We already ate breakfast while you were asleep."

"Okay." I was slightly suspicious.

When we entered the kitchen, only Esme, Carlisle, and Edward were there.

"Morning, Bella." Edward's voice was enough to make me melt. I loved the way it sounded when he said my name.

I realized suddenly how sick and wrong this was. I had barely known him for a month. But yet, he was always on the back of my mind no matter how hard I tried to distract myself. It was hard not to trust him, he seemed perfect in every way. But how could someone that amazing ever care about someone beaten and broken like me?

"What do you want to eat?" Alice said excitedly.

"Umm . . . anything is fine." I spoke timidly.

"Well, we have cereal, pancakes, toast, eggs, waffles, oatmeal, yogurt, bagels, fresh berries, a bunch of fruit —"

"Wow, Alice." I cut her off. "I think I'll just have some cereal, okay?"

"Alright, what kind?" She asked, pulling open a cabinet with more cereal boxes than a grocery store. "We have — "

Before she could list off all the cereal brands, I grabbed a random box off the shelf. I didn't really care what I ate, I rarely felt hungry anymore.

I sat down and Alice placed a bowl, a spoon, and a jug of milk in front of me. Edward settled into the chair next to me and my heart jumped at his closeness.

"Sorry about her." He said with a chuckle. "She gets a little over excited sometimes."

I smiled at him shyly and he grinned back. Alice huffed in mock anger before sitting down across from us.

I began eating my cereal, it tasted like soggy cardboard. Until Edward asked Alice about some assignment for school, I felt completely self conscious. They talked about other random, unimportant things until I was finished. It was nice that they didn't expect me to talk but I felt that I could have joined in at any time and they wouldn't have minded. It relived the awkward tension that filled the room.

"Ready to go?" Edward asked as Alice picked up my bowl and rinsed it in the sink. I protested but she insisted on cleaning up.

"Yes." I was afraid to be alone with Edward again but also slightly excited.

I followed him out the front of the house and over to the Volvo Emmett had driven yesterday. He opened the passenger door for me like a true gentleman and I mumbled my thanks. Then he slid into the driver's seat gracefully and pulled out of the long driveway.

The car was silent and neither of us knew what to say. Finally he turned on the radio to a soft classical music station. I relaxed into the seat and let the music sooth me. My eyes drifted closed but I didn't fall asleep.

After a little while Edward whispered, "We're here."

I opened my eyes groggily and looked around. It took me a minute to process what I was seeing. We were parked in my driveway but Charlie's police cruiser wasn't there.

"Wasn't he supposed to be home?" Edward was confused and so was I.

"Maybe he had to go to work or . . . something." I said uncertainly. Something was off.

But I placed my hand on the door anyways and was about to open it when Edward spoke. "Wait," he said, scribbling on a piece of scrap paper. "Here's my phone number. Call me if you need anything, I mean it. No matter what time it is, I'll always pick up."

I nodded and thanked him again. Before I could open the door he reached up slowly. His eyes warned me, gave me the chance to pull away, but I stayed put. He placed his hand gently on my cheek. Sparks flew through my skin and my heartbeat jumped erratically. He was too damn beautiful that I couldn't think. And, for a moment, time stood still.

Then he smiled that perfect crooked smile and dropped his hand. "Don't be afraid to call, no matter what you need."

I stared at him mutely probably looking like a complete idiot. Finally his words caught up with my brain. "Oh, . . . ya, of course. " I said breathlessly.

I stepped out of the car and the blast of arctic air helped to clear my head. But my only thought was still, _what the _hell _am I getting myself into?_.

I climbed the stairs to the porch two at a time and slid my key into the lock. Before I went inside, I turned and waved at Edward as he backed out of the driveway.

In the house, nothing had changed. My note still sat on the kitchen table where I had left it. The house felt strangely eery and I had no idea why. Then I saw that the light on the phone flashing. There was a message.

I walked over slowly, my sense of dread growing. I pressed the button with a trembling finger.

"One new message." A woman's voice said.

"Hello Miss Sawn. This is Dr. Brown from Forks General Hospital. I'm sorry to say that your father was involved in a car accident. He is here now and we need you to report to the hospital as soon as possible."

I fell to the ground and curled into a ball, my whole body shaking.

**Sorry this took me longer than I said it would. I had an idea that I HAD to use. I'm not telling you if Charlie dies or not, so don't even bother asking. You'll find out in the next chapter though. REVIEW!!**

**Oh! I almost forgot. I got my first flame type thingy. I don't know if it really counts but it kinda scared me. This person reviewed to chapter one and said " **Stupid girl should have taken the pan off the stove, her fault she's retarded.**" Direct quote. Should I be worried? Because I replied and said that I was.**


	16. Chapter 16

**I know that many of you are confused right now but I promise that I will explain everything that is going on in mine and Bella's heads. Sometime in either this chapter or the next. Okay, so just be patient with me.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

Edward's POV

I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach as I drove away from Bella's house. Something wasn't right but Alice hadn't said anything. _Alice._

I whipped out my cell phone and dialed her number as fast as I could without breaking it. She picked up before it had a chance to finish ringing once.

"What's up?" She asked casually.

"That's what I was hoping you could tell me." I said, angry but not at her. "Something weird is going on. Bella's father is not at the house. Did you see anything?"

"No," She sounded surprised. "I was blocking my visions of her. I didn't want to see what he would do to her."

"Well could you look?" I growled impatiently.

"Calm down." Alice ordered, exasperated. There was a pause that seemed to last much too long. I was left fidgeting with the steering wheel of my still moving car.

Finally, she said, "Edward, turn around now." Her voice was full of authority. "Charlie was in a car accident. He's in the hospital, and Bella is going to walk there. You have to go get her. She's pretty confused right now, so be careful."

"Thanks," I said shortly, then I hung up.

I pulled the car around in a sharp U-turn and sped down the road in the opposite direction. Eventually, I spotted Bella on the sidewalk, still wearing the clothes Alice had dressed her in this morning. She hadn't made it very far. She walked slowly and stared off into space.

I slid up next to her and leaned out my window. "Bella." I said.

She jumped when she heard my voice and whirled around to face me. Her heart beat stuttered then slowed back to it's normal pace. Her eyes looked strangely dead.

"Carlisle called me. He told me what happened." Bella nodded to show she understood. She seemed to be at a lose for words.

I hated lying to her but what was I supposed to say? Oh, Bella. My psychic sister told me that your dad was hit by a car. Why yes, of course she can see the future. It's because we're vampires and I happen to be fighting the urge to drink your blood every second I'm around you.

Somehow I doubted that it would go over well.

"I'll take you to the hospital." I reached over and opened the passenger door for her. As she got in and buckled her seatbelt, I could see her hands trembling slightly.

The car was silent for a moment except for the quiet purr of my Volvo's engine. "You could have called me, you know." I spoke quietly, gently.

She shrugged and looked out of the window, biting her bottom lip. I sighed, frustrated.

We finally reached the hospital and I parked near the front. Before she could touch the handle, I had dashed around the car and opened the door. She stepped out unsteadily.

I kept a safe distance between us as we walked towards the building. Suddenly, Bella stumbled sideways. I wrapped my arm around her waist instinctively to prevent her from falling. I instantly regretted it, remembering what had happened with Mike.

I heard her sharp intake of breath and her racing heart. I quickly pulled away. Then she wobbled again and I could help but stead her. This time she relaxed into my side and I left my arm where it was. We walked into the small lobby together. Bella's steps dragged and I supported most of her weight.

We approached the middle-aged woman at the desk and she smiled at us and asked, "How can I help you?"

_Oh my gosh he is gorgeous. If only I was about thirty years younger . . . oh well, those two do make a cute couple._

I ignored her thoughts and spoke normally. "We are here to see Charlie Swan."

Bella flinched into me at the mention of his name. The movement was so tiny that I wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for my enhanced senses.

The receptionist gasped. "Of course, you must be Isabella. I'm so sorry. I'll go get Dr. Brown."

She disappeared through the hallway, leaving Bella and I alone in the lobby. Forks was a small, quiet town.

I waited impatiently until the receptionist returned with an old balding man who I assumed was Dr. Brown.

His tone was formal and business-like when he addressed Bella. "Charlie was found early this morning. He was in a head on collision with another car. The other driver died and your father is in the Intensive Care Unit currently. We are doing our best to stabilize him. Nancy has some paperwork you need to fill out. If you want to wait here, I'll keep you posted on how he's doing."

Bella stared at Dr. Brown but I could tell that she wasn't really seeing anything.

"Thank you." I said because it was clear that Bella wasn't going to. Nancy handed me a stack of papers, she too sensing that Bella was lost in another world. Dr. Brown left and Nancy settled back behind her desk, watching me and Bella in a way that was supposed to be discrete.

I dragged Bella's limp, fragile body over to the worn old sofa. The paperwork I tossed onto the coffee table, it could wait for now. I sat down carefully, pulling her onto my lap and holding her in my arms.

I was being even more gentle with her than normal. I wished there was some way I could comfort her. But that was impossible because I had no idea what she was upset about. Shouldn't she be happy? If not happy, maybe relieved. I wanted more than anything to be able to read her mind like I could with everyone else.

I pressed my nose into her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. "I'll be here for you no matter what happens." I whispered into her ear.

Bella gazed numbly into space, and I sat there lost in my thoughts, desperately wondering what to do.

And we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Time was moving even slower than usual. Every minute seemed to last an hour.

Dr. Brown came back in a few times to tell us that Charlie's condition had not improved.

Sometime in the late afternoon, I remembered that Bella needed to eat. I asked her if she wanted any food. Her only reply was a weak shake of her head.

A little while after Dr. Brown's latest update, Nancy's shift ended and another younger woman came to take her place. I ignored their hushed whispers about Bella and I.

It was late evening now and we still hadn't moved. I had never seen a human sit still as long as Bella had. Then again, Bella wasn't like any other human. Probably one of the reasons I was so attracted to her.

We filled out the papers to kill a little time.

At around ten o'clock, Carlisle came in. He worked the night shift. Bella didn't notice a thing.

_How is she? _Carlisle asked.

I raised an eyebrow at him. What a stupid question.

_Never mind, just take good care of her. I'm worried about what this could do to her._

There wasn't much else to say. It was a slow night, Carlisle had nothing to do. There were already more then enough doctors working to save their beloved police chief. At this point I had to suppress a growl. Again I asked myself how he could hurt someone and beautiful and innocent as Bella.

Finally Bella spoke. "You should go home, it's getting late." Her voice was thick and strained. She sounded tired.

"I'm not going anywhere." I said firmly. "As long as you're here, I'm here."

"You shouldn't be doing this for me."

"You're worth it."

And we lapsed back into silence.

Sometime in the early hours of the morning, Dr. Brown came back in. He looked half-asleep but triumphant. "Well, he's going to be okay. He's sleeping right now and will be let out in a week at the most. You can go home whenever you want."

"Can I see him?" Bella's voice was dull and lifeless. It killed me to see her like this.

"Bella," I said. My tone held a warning. I wasn't sure that she could handle seeing him. Then again, Bella was stronger than I gave her credit for.

"Yes." He said.

Bella and I stood up together. Her knees went weak from so many hours of not moving. I kept my arm wrapped around her waist holding her up.

Dr. Brown led us up a flight of stairs and through a dimly lit hallway. We stopped outside a door identical to all the others.

Bella tried in vain to get free of my arms. She looked up at me with a face that said that she needed to do this alone. I stared back with the same intensity, asking her is she was sure. She nodded once and I released her reluctantly.

She pushed open the door and closed it sharply behind her. There was an awkward silence between me and Dr. Brown who seemed slightly confused at our silent exchange.

"Is she alright?" He asked in a concerned voice.

"I'm not sure." I said honestly. _But hopefully she will be._ I thought to myself

It was only about five minutes before Bella stumbled back out of the room. She collapsed into my arms. I scooped her up bridal style and left the hospital without a backward glance at Dr. Brown. Bella buried her face in my chest but never actually cried.

She shivered as the cold morning air hit her. I hurried to get her into my car. Once there, I turned up the rarely used heater.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked quietly, still not sure wether she would answer me or not.

"My house." She said.

The whole car ride was silent, except for the beating of her heart. I kept her warm hand in mine, letting the heat of her skin overwhelm me.

I pulled into the driveway and she placed her hand on the handle before looking back at me uncertainly. "Do you want to come in?" Her shyness was adorable.

"Yes."

We walked up the old steps to the front door, which she unlocked using a key hidden under the eaves. She let us into the dark house.

"Make yourself at home. I'm going to take a shower." She retreated upstairs.

I sat down in the livingroom and flipped the TV on, to a random channel. I didn't really pay attention to what was going on.

A while later, Bella came into the room. She was wearing old sweat pants and an oversized sweatshirt. Her wet hair was pulled up into a messy bun. She looked more like herself and I loved it. She could look stunning in anything. And she smelled amazing even though I had to deny the craving I felt for her blood.

She sat down a safe distance from me and stared blankly at the TV.

"You should eat breakfast." I said after a bit.

"Not hungry." Was her reply.

"Please." I turned to meet her deep brown eyes.

She seemed slightly breathless when she answered me. "There's not point in arguing with you, is there?"

"I can be just as stubborn as you sometimes."

She got up and headed for the kitchen, with me following closely behind. Bella grabbed a slightly bruised apple from a bowl on the counter and bit into it. She swallowed a large bite before saying, "You should eat something too."

I didn't want to eat human food but what other choice did I have? I picked up and apple also and stared at it. It couldn't be as bad as it smelled . . . could it? I took a careful bite and had to force myself not to gag. It tasted worse than I expected.

She finished her apple quickly and threw the core in the trash can, walking back to the living room. I chucked mine in without eating anymore.

Bella was siting in the only armchair, leaving the couch for me. I didn't want to be away from her so I sat on the floor, resting my head against the chair.

"Talk to me, Bella." I said desperately.

"About what?" She looked taken aback.

"Anything, everything. I need to know what you're thinking. It's driving me mad."

She sighed and then took a deep breath.

**Sorry it's been a while. We have a big emotional chapter coming up. All of Bella's feelings will be explained, I promise.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Time for the big emo chapter!! aren't you guys excited? I know I am! This is pretty heavy on the dialogue but all of it is VERY important. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, or Breaking Dawn. (You have no idea how long I've been waiting to add that title to the list)**

Bella's POV

I paused, thinking. How could I explain to him everything that was going on in my head when I didn't even know myself? He deserved to know why I was so confused. I owed him my life.

When I didn't respond immediately, he groaned. "_Bella_," his voice was laced with agony. "How am I supposed to help you when I don't even know what you're feeling?"

"But you are helping me." I replied, shocked.

Edward shook his head, refusing to meet my eyes. "Nothing I do is working, though. I've tried so hard to keep you from hurting. But, I can see it in your eyes. It's not enough. You are still in pain and there is nothing I can do to stop it."

He buried his head into his knees and breathed deliberately in and out, as though he was trying to calm himself down. He really did look like he was on the brink of losing it.

But how could he think things like that? He would have to be crazy to think that he hadn't helped me.

"Edward," I said softly. When he didn't look up, I climbed off the tattered old armchair and settled myself on the hardwood floor next to him. His hand lay on the ground beside us, balled into a fist. Slowly, gently I reached out my trembling fingers and rested them on his. Electricity jolted through my body just like it always did. But I didn't move and neither did Edward. We simply sat there in our intense, confused silence.

I wished that I could communicate everything in that one little touch. Tell him that one little touch was all it took for him to comfort me.

"Please," Edward said finally. He sounded strained and tense. "Please, just talk. You can say whatever you need to. Anything that comes to your head. You can tell me everything and I'll always listen. Don't be afraid."

I almost laughed. How many time was he going to tell me that? I had more than enough reasons to be terrified.

And then I felt something else. It was like a wild fire, burning me to my very core. I didn't just want to talk. I _needed _to. Needed to get some of this off my chest. This weight that had been growing steadily for the past ten years and _finally_ I could get rid of some of it.

"But I _am _scared." I fought to control my shaking voice. "More than you could ever understand. It's just that things are changing so fast. I don't have time to stop and really figure things out. And then I'm afraid that if I do, I'll see things that I don't want to see."

I kept my gaze fixed on a dent in the floor. I could feel his eyes on me as I spoke.

When I paused for breath, his hand, still clenched into a fist under mine, flipped over. Our fingers twined together, his cold skin against mine was the most powerful thing I had ever felt. It was like we were connected and that gave me the strength to continue.

"I feel so sickened with myself right now."

"Bella," Edward interrupted, squeezing my hand tightly at the same time. I glanced up at his face, he looked furious.

"Just let me finish." I pleaded. He was still seething. "You said you would listen."

Edward made a pained sound, halfway between a sigh and a groan. I took it as him admitting defeat.

I looked away again, trying to get a handle on my expression. I knew my face was easy to read, and I didn't want Edward to worry if he saw how raw and untamed my emotions were. And, when I forced them down, pretended not to feel them, it made it easier to deal with. It always had.

"You can't imagine the guilt I feel. All because of Charlie. My own _father._ My father . . ." I trailed off, not sure how to continue.

A gentle pressure on my cheek forced me to look up. Our eyes connected and I felt like he was staring past my exterior, the careful facade I had put on for everyone else. When Edward looked at me, he saw straight into my soul. He saw the lost and broken girl that I had tried to keep from him.

So carefully, as if I was something precious and breakable, Edward lifted me into his arms. He sat us both down in the armchair. I settled into his lap, snuggling into his stone arms. He held me just like he had in the hospital, protectively. As though he would do anything to save me.

This, more than anything, got me to keep talking. Just his presence gave me more hope than I had the right to feel.

"I couldn't even cry, Edward." My voice cracked on the word _cry_. "Not even when I thought he was going to die. My own father and I would not have shed a tear. Does that make me some kind of sick, disgusting person? That part of me would have even been _happy_ that he was gone." I already knew the answer to my question.

Edward pulled me even closer if that were possible. His lips moved to my ear, speaking in a low furious whisper. "How could you think of yourself like that, Bella? You're not the one who should be feeling guilty here. Why shouldn't you be relived at the very least to be free of him? After all he's done to you . . .

"That's what makes _me _sick." He continued. "The fact that he could hurt you this deeply. All these lies he's forced into your head. You have to stop believing him, Bella."

I hid my face against his chest, fighting the torrent of emotions that was threatening to overflow. I tried to focus on nothing but Edward, holding me down, keeping me from being swept away. When I spoke, my voice was muffled against the soft fabric of his shirt. "It's all I've ever been told. That I'm not worth anything. That I'm the reason my mother left . . . and to have you come in to my life and try to tell me something completely different . . .

"Confused is the best way to describe how I feel right now. I'm not sure what to believe. He's my dad . . . and I do love him."

Edward's eyes were blazing again. His voice was harsh and strained. "You _love _him? How can you feel pity for that monster? He hurts you again and again . . . he's made your life hell. Damn it, what's going through your head, Bella?"

"I _have_ to love him."

"You don't, you shouldn't" He snarled.

"Hear me out. I forgive him for everything he ever did. It's more my fault than his—"

He made a noise that sounded almost like a growl. One of his hands released me and went up to run through his hair. "_Bella—_"

I placed one finger against his perfect lips to silence him. "Charlie's only crime is weakness. He was too weak to see the strength in admitting to his pain. He was too proud to get help. When Renee left him, he was heartbroken. He's waited by the phone for ten years just to hear her voice again and cried himself to sleep every night. Eventually he started drinking more and more. It's killed me that I can't do anything to help him. I _have _failed him because, no matter how hard I try, I will never be my mother. I won't ever be able to fill the holes that she left in him."

He was quiet for a long moment. I pressed my face into his shirt to hide the tears swimming in my eyes. Edward tucked my head under his chin and sat there rocking me back and forth. He seemed to be organizing his thoughts.

Finally, he spoke, "You have done nothing wrong, Bella. Charlie is the only one to blame for what he has done. This. Is. Not. Your. Fault." He said each word with such conviction that it was hard to doubt his sincerity.

But I shook my head, still hiding my face. It was hard to trust him but my heart swelled with hope at his words. "You don't know how much that means to me. It's so weird to be around you. You're everything I could every possibly think of in my wildest dreams and more. You think you're not helping me, but where would I be if it wasn't for you?"

He didn't answer so I said bitterly, "Six feet under."

Edward winced at the mention of my suicide attempt. "Do you hate me for stopping you?"

"Yes and no." I replied, trying to be as honest as possible. "Things would be so much simpler if you hadn't. My life was over, I had nothing left to live for."

"Then what is keeping you here now?"

I pulled back and stared off into a corner of the room, biting my lip. Could I tell him this? Was I really prepared to make myself that vulnerable? What was the worst that could happen? Edward realizing that he didn't want to be near me after all, that was easy. And what would I do if, and when, that happened? Death was definitely and option. But this time, I wouldn't fail.

"You." I whispered.

Silence.

A tense, awkward silence.

One warm tear slid slowly down my cheek. Neither of us did anything to stop it.

Suddenly, Edward groaned. "This is so wrong." He sounded like somebody was burning him, like every word caused him physical pain. "It's one thing to let myself fall for you like this. But for you to depend on me too . . . I shouldn't let this happen."

His words cut me like a knife. It hurt more than it should have. "I don't want you to leave."

"Which is exactly why I _should_." Edward was looking everywhere but at my eyes. But I could still see the agony there. "I'm not healthy for you, Bella. Please understand that."

"No," I said. I was nothing if not stubborn. "I'm the one who's not good for you. I'm empty and broken . . . and- well, look at you! You're . . . you're -" I struggled to find words to describe his mind blowing perfection. "Flawless." I finished lamely.

"Wrong again," He gritted his teeth as he spoke. I could see the conflict written all over his handsome face. It was like he was trying to decide how much to tell me." I'm . . . dangerous. I don't want to hurt you, but I could . . . so easily. You are so pure and innocent, not broken like you may think."

"It's hard to see myself any other way. Seriously, are you blind? I'm like a shell of a person. I don't laugh or smile. I can hardly force myself to eat. Everything just comes so naturally to you."

Edward let out a humorless chuckle. "Are you kidding me? I have tried to be everything you need but nothing is enough. You're still hurting and it's my fault."

I was getting angry now? I didn't want him gone but he needed to see that I was worthless. My voice rose and hot tears were streaming down my face. "You could have anyone you wanted, Edward!" I shouted at him. "Every girl in the world would die for a chance to be with you. So why are you wasting your time with me?"

"Two reasons." His tone matched mine. "One: This is not a waste of time. Every second I spend with you is precious and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Two: I do not want anyone else. You are different from any girl I've ever met. And you're the only one I'll ever want to see."

"But I'm no good for you, damn it! Why can't you grasp that?"

"Because it's not true."

We sat there for a long moment, our chests heaving. Both of us were trying desperately to catch our breath and figure out what to do.

Edward's face softened from that cold, angry mask. He leaned forward slowly, resting his forehead against mine. His icy breath played across my face. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring his sweet scent.

"It's so hard to feel this way, Edward." I said with my eyes still shut. I had to say this before I lost my nerve. "To be so dependent on you. I've never felt so powerless or vulnerable in my life. I meant it when I said you were the only thing keeping me alive. Without you, I would die. And that's more frightening than a thousand Charlies. But, even though I know I should, I can't try to get rid of you. Because . . . never mind."

_Because I love with you._ Shit.

I loved him. Not just loved him, I was in love with him. I was in love with Edward Cullen. And there was no going back now.

**Well there you go. Kinda longish for me. Thoughts? Comments? Something confusing you? Well then, REVIEW!! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Okay, I was SO nervous about that last chapter. People have been constantly asking me why Bella doesn't just leave or report Charlie. I was trying to explain her feelings accurately. And thank you for reviewing. I'm really glad it made sense to pretty much everyone.**

**I am SO sorry this took so long. School is about to start and I have a summer assignment for my English class. So basically, I've had no time. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of it's characters.**

Bella's POV

Well now what was I going to do? I could not tell Edward how I felt. That was out of the question. Unless . **. . **

But I refused to think that he could love me back. He cared about me, obviously. But to what extent? And how could I let myself feel this way when it was unhealthy for everyone involved?

However, no matter the consequences might be, I loved him.

"Edward," I whispered. His name burned my throat on the way out.

"Mmm," he sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back to rest against the chair.

"Never mind," as I said this I placed my head against his chest. I could feel the soft rhythm of his breathing and it kept me calm.

Sitting there in the safety of Edward's arms, I let myself think.

I tried to figure out my life up to this point. I did my best to organize my thoughts and feelings. It was all too complicated to handle and my mind kept getting tied in knots.

I don't know how long we stayed there, not talking. It could have been hours, it could have been days. But when I finally looked up, it was dark outside. I glanced over at the TV. The clock told me that it was past ten.

"Crap," I croaked, my voice thick and rough.

"What?" Edward asked, still sounding perfect as usual.

"It's getting late." I cleared my throat before continuing. "You should probably be getting home soon." I tried my best to hide my unwillingness to have him leave.

"Do you want me to go?" He said. Was it just me, or did he sound slightly disappointed?

I bit my lip hesitantly. Could I tell him the truth? "Not really." My face turned bright red as I said this and I looked away from him.

A cold hand cupped my cheek, stroking my pink skin tenderly. My heart fluttered like a butterfly's wings at his touch. He turned my head back so that I met his eyes.

I noticed then that his eyes were darker. Not the liquid topaz color I was used to. But they were still not like the frightening pitch black color they had been when he pulled Charlie's gun from my hand. I stored that knowledge away, not knowing quite what to make of it.

"Then I am not going anywhere." He sounded firm but unbelievably compassionate.

I opened my mouth to say something but instead I yawned. Edward chuckled softly. "You must be tired," he said. "It's been a long couple of days."

I nodded and yawned again. I really was exhausted. "I should run home, though." He said. He must have seen the panic in my expression because he added quickly, "Just for a moment. I need to talk to my family."

"They won't be mad at you, will they? Because you've been with me all weekend?"

"Of course not," Edward silenced my fears instantly. "They understand. Well, Carlisle and Alice do. The rest of them are slightly confused but they would never be angry."

"Good," I said seriously. I didn't want him to get in trouble because of me.

"You worry too much, Bella." He spoke with a breathtaking smile on his face.

Edward stood gracefully, bringing me up with him. I remained securely wrapped in his strong arms. My feet barely brushed against the floor, Edward supported most of my weight.

"I will be back before you have time to miss me." I couldn't find one hint of a lie in his words.

He bent down slowly and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

By the time it took me to realize what had happened, Edward had flashed me a dazzling smile, and disappeared.

I stood there, wobbling slightly. The place where his lips had touched my skin felt like it was on fire.

I sighed lightly before going to the kitchen to grab something to eat. I wasn't particularly hungry but maybe food would help me concentrate. I looked into the bare refrigerator and made a mental note to go grocery shopping the next chance I had. I decided to keep things simple and made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then I chugged down a glass of milk before heading upstairs.

I stopped in the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. The girl there was a stranger to me. There was a slight flush in her cheeks and her eyes were twinkling. Most of the bruises were fading off my body. I looked more human than I had in years.

I felt as if I was a completely different person. And it was all because of Edward.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Edward's POV

I hopped in my Volvo and sped out of the driveway. My lips still tingled from where they had touched Bella.

She was completely ridiculous. The way she justified every action of her father's. None of it was her fault but she shouldered all the blame. It was not fair that someone like her had to witness the horrors of the world at such a young age.

But I couldn't help but fall for her a little bit more because of it.

With every word she spoke this became more dangerous for her. And she didn't even know it. She might think that I was good for her but she didn't understand the truth of what I was.

_You could tell her._ The little voice in the back of my head reminded me.

But I could not tell her what I really was. Bella would never accept it. And then she wouldn't allow me near her. Right now my first priority was getting her out of that place.

I was approaching the house now and I could hear everyone's thoughts.

_You really aren't giving the poor girl enough credit, Edward. _Alice's voice was condescending. _She's tougher than you think._

_Yes! Little Eddie finally got some! _Emmett, of course. _You've been gone for like two days, man. I'm so proud of you._

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but be slightly embarrassed at my lack of experience. But I had never felt anything for another woman like the love I had for Bella.

Wait . . . _love_? The word had slipped into my mind without conscious thought. I could not really love her, a human, someone who was wrong for me in every sense of the word . . . Could I? But the feeling that overwhelmed my dead heart and spread through my icy body was like nothing I had ever felt before. It was groundbreaking, earthshattering. It warmed me to the very center of my being. Who needed a soul? Bella was my soul, she was my whole world. There was no point in denying it any longer.

So _this _was what everyone was talking about. _This _is what I've been missing out on for the last hundred years. And all because I had not found Bella yet.

_You've got it bad, little brother._ I could feel Jasper shaking his head at me. But even that could not wipe the stupid grin off my face.

I hopped out of my car and it took all my self control not to skip through the back door. Emmett was right there waiting for me.

"So how was it?" He asked smugly.

"We didn't do anything, Emmett."

"_Nothing_?" He said suggestively.

"Nothing." I repeated.

"But you at least kissed her, right?" That wiped the smile off of my face.

"Of course not." I said, there was sadness in my voice. "I _can't _kiss her. She is a human. I could kill her if I let my guard down for even a second."

"But you want to." Emmett stated, sure of himself.

I took a moment to consider it. It was not safe for her in any way. But I couldn't stop imagining what it would feel like to kiss her perfect, gorgeous, full, red — I shook my head sharply to snap myself out of my fantasies.

I sighed, "yes, I do."

"Then do it, you idiot!" Emmett punched my arm roughly, but not hard enough to hurt.

"You don't get it." I spoke slowly, more to myself than to him. "It's not like that between us. And I don't think it ever will be. Bella is not ready to handle a relationship right now. Besides, she needs another human. Someone healthy for her. Someone not like me . . ."

But the thought of her being with anyone besides myself made the monster inside of me rear it's ugly head. But this was not the same monster that lusted after Bella's blood. No, this one had eyes blazing green. I was beyond angry, what was this?

_Edward, _Jasper directed his thoughts at me. _It's called jealousy._

Jealousy. Of course. I knew what that was. I had just never expected it to be so powerful.

Emmett spoke again, interrupting my reverie. "Well, _duh_. Nothing is ever going to happen if you keep acting like this. I bet you anything that she feels the same. She's just afraid to admit it."

"Just drop it, Em." But I couldn't help wondering if that was really true. I changed the subject quickly. "Where are Carlisle and Esme?"

"Carlisle is at the hospital and Esme went to stock up on human food."

"Why?" I asked mainly to keep him distracted.

"Well, I guess she realized that a certain human is going to be hanging around here a lot more." He was smirking at me.

"Shut up," I pushed past him. I was in a hurry to get back to Bella.

I ran up to my room and put on a clean shirt and sweat pants. A shower would have been nice but there was no time for that.

I was heading back down the stairs when Alice intercepted me.

"Tell her," she commanded.

"Tell her what?" I asked impatiently.

"About us, you dimwit."

I growled and tried to dart around her, but Alice was already in there to block me.

"Tell her soon, or I will."

I snarled furiously at her, grabbing my tiny sister by the collar of her shirt. My teeth bared in her face but her expression remained calm. She crossed her arms across her chest and cocked one eyebrow at me.

I roared again but suddenly a fist connected with my back. I was not expecting it and I stumbled forward, releasing Alice. I whipped around faster than a speeding bullet. Jasper was standing there, his chest heaving, clutching his wife in his arms.

"Don't touch her." He spat at me. Alice grinned smugly, and Jasper shot me another warning glance before he turned and went back to their room.

_I meant it. _Alice thought seriously.

I groaned but didn't let my mind linger on what had just happened. Bella was my first priority at the moment.

Then I realized that I had not gone hunting in at least a week. My eyes were probably getting darker and Bella was bound to notice eventually. I would have to be more careful.

I raced outside and killed the first animals I could find. I wasn't being picky tonight. I was back in my car and on the highway in the blink of an eye.

I pushed my Volvo to it's limit, driving as fast as possible in my haste to get back. I had lost track of the time. How long had I been gone?

My fingers twitched on the steering wheel and questions ran through my head. What was I supposed to do about Alice? Would things be awkward between Bella and I now that I realized how I felt? Could I control my emotions enough to remain her friend? Was I ever really her friend in the first place? How could I get her out of her father's house? Could Bella ever really love a monster like me?

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bella's POV

I sat on the couch, staring at the clock. I fidgeted with my hands in my lap. It had been twenty- four minutes since Edward left. Where was he? What if —

But before I could dwell on my unpleasant thoughts, I heard the sound of a car door slam and my heart leapt. A second later there was a quiet knock and I jumped off the couch.

"Come in," I squeaked, trying in vain to hide the anxiousness from my voice. I failed miserably.

I turned to see him walking around the corner, a perfect crooked smile on his face. My body, which had been coiled up like a spring, visibly relaxed when he entered the room. It wasn't fair that he could have this huge of an effect on me.

"You know, you really should be more careful. What if I had been an axe murderer?" Edward spoke teasingly. And, oddly enough, it was exactly what I needed.

I laughed breathlessly, a real smile on my face. "What kind of murderer knocks before coming to kill me?"

"A polite one." He said, his own grin grew even larger when I responded to his joking.

I couldn't think of a witty response so I just giggled. Me, _Bella Swan_, the ice queen, actually _giggled_. What was this boy doing to me?

Edward walked over to the couch, beside which I was still standing, and sat down. He tugged gently at my hand and I, taking the hint, settled next to him. There was only about an inch between our legs and I wondered if he too could feel the sparks flying between us. Because I sure could.

Once I had control over my vocal chords, I asked, "Do you want to watch TV or something?"

"Sounds good," he replied, grabbing the remote off the coffee table. He flipped through channels for a while before I spotted a movie called Tristan and Isolde. I told Edward to go back to it. It was one of those Romeo and Juliet stories. I had never really been able to appreciate those movies before.

It had just started and Edward and I watched most of it in silence.

"It's nice isn't it?" I said during one of the happier scenes. "How true love always wins in the end. They tried to stay apart but they couldn't. It was like fate."

"I've never had much patience for these movies, actually." He replied.

"Me either," I admitted. "But I can kind of understand what they were feeling . . . now." I blushed and cursed myself for my word vomit.

"I know what you mean," he said softly, tenderly. One of his arms slid around my shoulders and I cuddled into his side shyly.

I don't know when exactly I dosed off but I did remember that I didn't get to finish the movie.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Edward's POV

Bella fell asleep towards the end of the movie. She had every right to be tired, I was surprised she lasted this long. She hadn't slept at all last night.

When the movie went to commercials, I scooped Bella up into my arms, being careful not to wake her. I walked swiftly up the stairs and into her room. I placed her gently on the bed and laid the blankets over her.

I pressed my lips onto her forehead softly and whispered, "Sleep well, my Bella."

I crept down the stairs and sat on the couch. Although I would never admit it, I was actually interested in finishing the movie.

None of these human emotions had ever made sense to me before I met Bella. But now I could see where all the characters were coming from. And all because I had fallen in love.

_**Alright,**_** well that was my longest chapter ever. I just couldn't find a good place to end. And I have the next chapter already planned. Expect more angst-y-ness to come. This chapter was more fluff than anything but it needed to happen.**

**And now I get to go read and annotate two boring books because I only have six days left :( **

**REVIEW!! **


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: If I owned Edward Cullen, he would be locked in my closet, not running around fanfiction. Thankfully, Stephenie is kind enough to share him with us fangirls for a little while :)**

Please read the dream carefully! It's important!!

Bella's POV

_White fabric swirled around me and I held a bouquet of blood red roes in my hand. I was outside, in a stunning meadow. The green trees swayed in the light breeze. The whole scene was magical, the forest seemed to sparkle. I walked down a narrow isle between rows upon rows of empty white chairs. At the end of my walkway, under a simple white alter, was Edward. _

_He wore a classic black tux, and a dazzling smile that took my breath away. _

"_Edward," I whispered. He stood there, waiting for me. Hesitantly, I took a small step forward. Then another, and another. _

_Suddenly, a warm hand seized my wrist. I screamed and tried to move forward. I had to get to Edward. The hand held me in place. _

"_You'll never have your happy ending, Bella." My breathing choked off as I recognized my father's voice. _

"_No!" I yelled out, thrashing desperately against his hold. My bouquet dropped to the grass at my feet as my other wrist was secured behind my back too. No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't break free. _

_Worry crossed Edward's face and he started towards me. Hope filled me from head to toe. Edward would save me. I stopped fighting like a caged animal as he walked slowly forward._

_When he reached me, Edward stooped over and picked up to roses. He stood staring at me in silence. I longed to throw my arms around his neck and burry my face in his chest. I wanted to grab hold of him and never let go. _

_But my body wouldn't move, I was frozen in place. Except that there was nothing holding me back now, nothing but myself._

"_Edward," I said again, agony in my voice._

"_I'm sorry, Bella." His words burned with apology and his golden eyes were filled with pain. "But I can't help you if you won't let me."_

_And, just like that, Edward turned and walked away._

"NO!" I screamed, my eyes snapping open. I was laying in my bed, drenched in cold sweat, with no idea how I got there.

"Bella," Edward's voice was rough, if that were even possible, from anxiety. He stood in my doorway frantically, as if wondering what to do.

My breathing was heavy and tears stung my eyes. "Edward," I said quietly, desperately.

The second our eyes met, Edward was at my side, gathering me up into his stone cold arms. I twisted mine around his neck, nearly strangling him. He sat on the edge of my bed, rocking me gently back and forth.

"Shh, Bella," he whispered. "It's going to be okay. It was only a dream. Shh, you're safe now."

But I couldn't stop the tidal wave of tears. I pressed my face into his chest, violent sobs racking my whole body.

"Bella, please," he pleaded. "You're scaring me. It was just a bad dream. You're going to be alright. I promise."

"Ed-Edward," I choked out his name and cried even harder.

"Shh," he continued to hold me tightly.

I felt like a child little child running to its mother for comfort from a bad dream. Except that this was so much more than just a nightmare. It had showed me something important. It wasn't really Charlie who kept me away from Edward, it was myself, my own fear.

Somehow I managed to get control of myself. I stopped crying but by breathing remained heavy.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked cautiously.

I almost laughed, almost. That would be an interesting conversation. _' Well, you see Edward, I had a _nightmare_ about our wedding.' _Yeah, that wouldn't be awkward at all.

Instead, I hid my face in the crook of his neck, letting his sweet scent calm me.

"Edward," my voice was muffled against his chilly skin.

"I'm here, Bella."

"I don't know how to be close to you, Edward." I admitted. "I'm trying, but I just don't know how."

"Bella, you are doing an amazing job." He placed a cool hand on my cheek, lifting my face up so that our eyes met. "I never expected this to be easy for you. I am stunned that you can even stand to let me touch you."

"But that's the thing, I'm terrified. But not for the reasons I should be."

"Sometimes I wish that I could read your mind. Bella, can you _please _explain what you are talking about. You are driving me insane."

"You'd think that I would be afraid of any man touching me because the only think I've known all these years is pain." I could see the sadness in his expression. "But the reason I'm so scared is that I know you would never hurt me."

Edward groaned and pressed his forehead against mine. His eyes shut tight and he breathed deeply. "Would a straight answer kill you?" His voice was perfectly controlled but I could tell that he was angry.

"Well, you could. But you wouldn't." Then, as an afterthought, I added, "not physically, anyways." A second later I wished that I had never opened my mouth.

"And would you care to explain that, as well?"

I blushed deeply, thanking whatever lord there was out there that Edward kept his eyes closed. Although he could probably feel the heat radiating off my skin.

_Because I'm crazy in love with you, you fool._ Ha ha . . . no.

I needed a minute to think without this intense feeling pulsing through my veins. I wiggled slightly, trying to get free of his arms. His eyes snapped open and he looked down at me, confused. When he realized what I was trying to do, he loosened his grip on me. Did I spot a hint of reluctance in his expression?

Once I was settled a few inches away from him, sitting cross-legged, it was easier to think. To come up with an answer that would make sense and not make me sound like I was madly in love with him.

"Before I met you, I survived life in apathy." I started out carefully. "Not feeling anything was easier than trying to deal with it all. That's what why you found me with that gun pointed at my head." Edward flinched and reached out to take my hand in his.

I smiled lightly, it was nice, having his hand in mine. We fit together perfectly. At least it felt that way to me. I continued where I had left off, "Everything just became too much. I had all these emotions bottled up for years and I couldn't take it anymore. But when I'm around you, you make me feel. It's that simple. I'm scared to feel . . . I'm scared to live."

"Oh, Bella." He squeezed my hand gently.

Once I got started, I found that I couldn't stop. Everything I had been trying to work out earlier came spilling out. "Because, once you're not with me anymore, there's not going to be anybody to help me. I'm not going to survive it. I'm falling, Edward. And my only hope is that you'll be there to catch me."

"You talk as if I'm going to leave." I could tell that Edward was still trying to figure out what I was saying.

My only response was silence. How could somebody as perfect as Edward want to stay with someone broken like me?

"Bella," he said sharply when I stayed quiet. "You know I'm not going anywhere, right?"

I closed my eyes and took a calming breath. Then I shook my head.

In an instant, Edward pulled me into his arms again, holding me like a baby. I refused to open my eyes. I couldn't bear to see him.

"Bella," he repeated my name. "Bella, please look at me."

I fought back tears, I hated seeming weak. But that was really all I was doing these days.

I felt Edward's cool fingers brushing away the hair that had fallen in my face. "I'll be here until you don't need me anymore."

"But that's the thing, Edward." My eyes snapped open and I finally met his gaze. "There's never going to be a time when I _don't _need you. I'm not normally this kind of person. I used to make all my decisions clinically, I was levelheaded, I was smart. I pushed everyone away so I didn't have to do what we're doing now. But with you . . . it seems like these days, I'm thinking with my heart instead."

"As long as it is what's best for you, I'll be here." Edward said. I could see the other side to this statement. He had said before that he was dangerous. Someday, he would leave. And I accepted that. Because when that day came, I would find a way to end my own life. And until then, I would savor every moment I had with him.

Against my will, I let out a huge yawn. Edward chuckled lightly, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"You need sleep," he lay me down on my bed and put my tangled blanket over me.

He started to stand up. I snatched his hand and tugged it weakly. "Don't go," my voice was slurred, I really was exhausted.

"Are you sure?" Edward seemed hesitant. My only reply was to pull him back towards me by his hand.

He laughed again and lay down next to me. My back pressed against his chest and he draped a cold arm over my waist. There was a blanket between us but I was still chilled. But instead of trying to warm myself up, I snuggled deeper into his embrace.

"Hey, Edward?" I said, fighting the sleepiness that threatened to overwhelm me.

"Mmm?"

"How did that movie end?"

He sighed sadly. "Tristan was killed. Isolde planted two trees that twined together as they grew. Then she was never seen again. You're classic Romeo and Juliet tale."

"A bittersweet ending," I whispered. "I can deal with that."

And I drifted off into a dreamless sleep, safe in Edward's arms.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Bella," a soft voice said. "Bella, it's time to wake up."

I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head.

A chuckle resonated though the room "It's Monday, we have to go to school."

"I don't wanna," my words were muffled by the pillow.

"Okay, then let's not." Edward said seriously.

I huffed, pulling my head up to look at him. "But we have to go to school."

"Your father is in the hospital. I'd say that is a legitimate excuse to take a day off."

"Yeah, but what's your excuse?" He couldn't miss school because of me.

"It's healthy to ditch every now and then." I could see him smiling his beautiful crooked smile.

Just then I realized something. "You stayed." My voice was filled with wonder.

"You sound surprised." Edward joked, looking happier than he had in a while.

I shrugged. "Actually, I kind of expected you to take off."

"Never," he said firmly. "Now go back to sleep."

"'Kay," I was still too tired to argue with him.

Edward pressed a small kiss onto the top of my head. "Let's not spend this week dwelling on unpleasant things. We'll go do something fun later, once you're rested."

"Mmm," I replied, already half asleep.

He laughed and kissed my hair again. Even though I was exhausted, my heart still reacted to his touch. Thank God he couldn't hear it.

"Sleep, my angel."

**I'm sorry that was so short. I would have posted yesterday but it was about 1,000 words shorter than the last chapter. I tried to make it longer. Now it's ALMOST 2,000 words without A/Ns. Sorry, but it was faster than I've ever updated before.**

**Now, to inspire your reviews, I will include a preview of something that will happen in chapter 20 or 21. Not sure yet.**

For one second I let my heart take over. That second was all it took. I stretched up on my toes and pressed my lips against his.

**Am I evil or what? REVIEW!!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks for all of your support. Going back to school is hard and I haven't found time to write until now. I actually didn't open my laptop for three days, which is a record for me.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer, nor will I ever be.**

Edward's POV

I stayed with Bella all night, watching her sleep. I lay next to her on the small bed, thinking. It seemed like I was doing a lot of that lately.

Was being around me really the best thing for Bella? Could I really protect her from her father?

I knew that it was wrong to let her be around me without letting her know what I was. But if I told her, she would surely run away screaming. There was no way she would want to be around me anymore. And I would have to let her go. Because it was the right thing to do, it would be safe for her. But then I would not be there if she needed me.

But how could she need a monster like me? I was wrong for her in ever sense of the word. Except that when I held her in my arms like I was now, right and wrong flew out the window. I could care less about morality when she was around me.

All I wanted was to tell her everything would be alright. But I knew that I couldn't, not when everything between us was so messed up. I wanted to sweep her off her feet, be her Prince Charming. And I was the exact opposite of everything she needed.

What she really needed was a nice human man, someone who would see her for the treasure she was, to come and take her away. I could see it all play out in my head. Bella meeting this faceless man, them falling in love, her confessing her secrets because she truly _wanted_ to, him accepting every last one of them. They would run away, get married, have children.

The thoughts were enough to cause me physical pain. It felt as if my heart was on fire. This was worse than the venom burning through my veins as I transformed.

I didn't want her to be with anyone else. I wanted to be the one to give her everything she needed. The happy, human life. But I couldn't, because of what I was. I would never be enough to deserve her.

But she wanted to be with me anyway. Maybe not in the same way I wanted her. Of course not, how could a human fell something this extreme? This all consuming force, something so intense would crush her fragile human state.

And she wouldn't want me if she knew I was a vampire. Or would she? Could she possibly accept me for what I was?

No, that was impossible. But I couldn't help hoping that maybe . . .

But I couldn't allow myself to think that way. Anyway, I would never have a chance to find out, because Bella would never know about me.

It would be best for her if I stayed until she was safe. Then I would leave and she would forget all about me. Bella would find her human match and live the happily ever after that an angel like her deserved.

This brought up a whole new round of questions, many of which I was afraid to answer. Would I be strong enough to leave her when the time came? Could I let her have the life she needed? Would I ever move on?

I knew that without Bella, there would never be happiness for me. She was my whole world and it would kill me to let her go. I would never move on but she would. Her human mind could forget all about me, while I would wallow in misery for the rest of my pathetic existence. I would never forget, but I could go on with simply knowing that she was out there somewhere, happy and safe. And when her life ended, mine would also.

But I didn't _want _that future. I wanted to keep her all to myself, no matter how bad for her I was. I was selfish. I was a monster. I didn't deserve her. But I was weak, I wanted her, needed her. And I also wanted what was best for her.

I groaned out loud and buried my face in Bella's hair. Never had this existence been so confusing. Her sweet siren scent filled me, overpowering my senses. It burned the back of my throat and venom pooled in my mouth. This served as a reminder of how different our worlds were. Two people like us didn't belong together.

"Edward," Bella mumbled my name in her sleep. She rolled over onto her other side so that our chests were pressed together. She sighed gently and said my name again.

"I'm here, Bella," I spoke quietly. She probably couldn't hear me anyway. A small smile appeared on her face.

"Don't leave me," she pleaded. If I had not been able to hear slow, steady heart beat, I would have thought she was awake. She spoke so clearly.

"I promise," and it was the truth. I would not leave her now, she needed me and I needed her. When had I ever let rules stop me before? I was going to savor my time with her, make the most of it. I wasn't going to waste it worrying about the if's, and's, or but's. Not yet.

Bella's POV

I felt very cold. It was freezing. What was wrong?

My eyelids fluttered open and I came face-to-face with a pair of stunning golden eyes. I gasped at how close Edward and I were, I wasn't expecting it. I pulled back quickly, putting some distance between us before I could do something really, really stupid. But Edward's arm was around my waist so I could only move so far away.

"Morning, sleepy-head." He said in that perfect, velvety voice.

I tore my eyes unwillingly away from his face for a second to glance out the window. It was cloudy outside. I could not tell what time it was.

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked.

"Hmm . . . about twelve hours. It's actually closer to afternoon than morning." Edward had a dazzling smile on his face, he looked stunning as usual. That made me wonder how horrible I looked right now. I blushed deeply.

Edward chuckled at me, only making me turn redder. "What is it?" He asked.

"Nothing," I muttered. Then I changed the subject before he could dazzle the answer out of me, "I'm sorry I slept for so long."

"Nonsense, you needed it."

"Yes, but you've just been laying here. It must have been boring for you." I replied.

"Not really," I could hear the laughter behind his words. "You're quite entertaining, actually."

I eyed him suspiciously, "what do you mean?"

"You talk in your sleep," he said matter-o-factly.

"No," I said in horrified disbelief, blushing furiously. What could I have said?

"Yes," Edward smiled happily.

"What did I say?" I asked hesitantly, not really sure if I wanted to know.

"Nothing, really," he answered, not meeting my gaze.

I groaned, "That bad?"

"Oh, no, nothing bad." Edward said, but the expression on his face told me differently.

"Tell me." I ordered.

"You did say my name . . ." he trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

"A lot?" I guessed.

"Sort of," he was still smiling.

I groaned again out of embarrassment, hiding my face in my pillow. Could this be anymore mortifying? He had to have guessed that I liked him way more than I should.

"Bella," he made my name sounded like sweet music. I felt his cold hand under my chin, he brought my face up. We looked into each other's eyes of a long time. I could see every emotion that those deep golden orbs held. And I let him see me. Just sitting there like that we understood everything. For one second everything we both felt was crystal clear. We said with our eyes everything that we couldn't put into words.

Then my stomach growled and the moment was lost.

Edward laughed at me lightly, and hopped up from my bed. I stretched my arms over my head and stood up to join him.

We walked down stairs side-by-side. Once, Edward's fingers brushed against mine and I blushed again. He pretended not to notice, but I could see the way his eyes lit up when we touched.

"So what do you want to do today?" I asked casually. I jumped up so that I was sitting on the kitchen counter and Edward leaned against the table.

"Hmm," he said, looking lost in thought. "Is there anything in particular you need to do?"

"Well, I _should _go grocery shopping sometime soon. But it can wait."

"Good," he said fervently. "There's a place I want to show you."

"Where is it?" I was curious. There wasn't really anything interesting in Forks.

"It's a surprise." Edward said cryptically.

"But I _hate _surprises." I whined at him like a two year old.

He laughed at my childishness and I had to join in. It had been forever since I had felt this giddy.

"I'll run home to get dressed and eat, then I'll come back and get you."

"Do you have to go?" I put on my best impression of Alice's pout.

He chuckled at my failure, then sighed and said, "I wish I didn't." The way he spoke made my heart flutter. "I'll be back as quickly as possible."

"'Kay," my voice was weak. He sounded like he really didn't want to leave me.

Once Edward was gone, I threw a couple pieces of bread in the toaster then hurried upstairs.

I began tearing through my meager supply of clothes, muttering to myself.

"No, I can't wear _that._" I tossed the old ratty t-shirt into the corner of my room. Why didn't I ever pay attention to my lack of decent clothing before now? Oh, right, because before Edward, I didn't have a reason to look nice at all.

I groaned out loud, chucking clothes in every direction.

I started to feel rather silly. Why did it matter how I looked? It's not like Edward could ever be interested in me in that way. I was a wreck.

But I still _wanted _to look as decent and put together as possible. To not look like I was falling apart at the seams.

Where was Alice when you needed her?

From downstairs, there came a quiet 'ding' from the toaster. "Ugh," I said, dropping the jeans with a hole in one knee on the floor.

I tried to rush down the stairs but I stumbled, of course, and had to steady myself on the railing. I was more careful after that.

I buttered my toast eagerly, and was about to take a huge bite when I heard a light tap on the door. My heart jumped, Edward couldn't be back already, could he?

No, it had only been about five minutes since he left. I made my way to the door and opened it uncertainly.

Alice stood on my front porch, holding two large bags in her hand and grinning from ear to ear.

"Alice?"

"No," she replied sarcastically. "It's the Bogey-Man. Now are you going to let me in or not?"

I stood aside for her and asked, "But shouldn't you be at school?"

"It's lunch."

"How did you get here?"

"Jasper dropped me off, he's sitting outside." Jasper was one of the two Cullens that I had never officially met. I was under the impression that he and Rosalie didn't like me very much.

"What—" I stated, but Alice cut me off.

"Are we going to stand here and play twenty questions, or are we going to get you all dolled up for your date with Edward?"

"Alice, it's not a date." My face was burning.

She eyed me skeptically, "Mm hmm, sure, because he's not taking you somewhere special? All _aloooonne_."

"You know it's not like that between us." I sighed internally, wishing it could be.

"Yet," she said firmly.

Before I could contradict her, Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me upstairs. She laughed lightheartedly upon seeing the state of my room. "You really are hopeless, aren't you?"

"Yes," I said pathetically.

"Here," she handed me on of her bags. "Go take a shower and put these on. Then come back in here so I can do your hair and makeup."

"Sure," I retreated to the bathroom, but I was distracted by my grumbling stomach. I raced back to the kitchen, scarfing down my toast before I made it to the bathroom.

I turned on the water and stripped down, not taking time to examine my body. Then I hopped into the hot water, letting it relax me. I didn't have much time, so I hurried to towel off.

I examined the clothes Alice had given me and was surprised to find that I liked them. There was a pair of jeans that probably cost much more than they were worth, and a plaid wool coat. I also had a thin white sweater to go under the coat.

Once I was dressed, I returned to my room to see Alice. In that short amount of time, she had cleaned up my mess and set up a huge selection of cosmetics on my desk. Don't ask me how she did it so quickly.

She pushed me down into my chair without a word, and set to work immediately. Alice kept it simple, thankfully. My makeup was natural and my hair fell down my back in gentle waves.

"Edward's back," as she spoke, she was putting the finishing touches on my face.

"How do you know?"

But before she could answer there was a swift knock on the door.

"Never doubt me," Alice said smugly.

I sprinted down the stairs, Alice on my tail, anxious to see Edward again.

"Hey," I breathed as I opened the door.

"Bella," he said softly, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear. I blushed lightly when his fingers touched my skin.

"Aww, you two are _so _sweet." Alice sounded like she was mocking us, but I could tell that she really meant it. "Now, shoo!" She waved us out the door ahead of her. Edward and I laughed at his tiny sister.

Jasper was sitting on the driver's side of a bright red BMW. He raised a hand and smiled kindly in greeting and I smiled back. At least he didn't seem to hate me. Alice hopped into his car gracefully and Edward opened the door of his Volvo for me. I got in the car and he closed the door behind me, getting into his seat.

Both cars pulled out of the driveway and we turned in opposite directions, Alice and Jasper heading back to school, Edward and I to an unknown location.

"You really aren't going to tell me where we're going?" I tried that pout thing again.

He chuckled at me. "You'll know soon."

"But, Ed-_ward_," I whined.

"Soon," He said, and I knew that I wasn't going to win.

We sat in silence for a moment, Edward was still smiling.

"You're in a good mood this morning," I observed.

"Yes,"

"Care to elaborate?" I was frustrated. "I've never seen you laugh this much."

"I decided that I was just going to enjoy this week as much as possible. I'm not going to worry about anything until I have to."

"Hmm," I sighed. "That sounds nice. I know Charlie's going to get out of the hospital eventually, but until then, I would really like to just have fun."

"Then that's exactly what we shall do."

We drove for a while in comfortable silence. Edward turned onto a bumpy dirt road, and came to a stop when it ended.

I stared at him questioningly as he got out of the car. He opened my door and reached out a hand to help me up. I took it shyly, unsure of how to react to such a casual touch. His skin felt so good against mine that I almost didn't let go.

"Where are we going?" I asked. I was nervous now. There was nothing here but a bunch of trees.

"This way." He said, leading me into the forest.

"Umm, Edward," I hesitated. "Are you sure that we'll be able to get back?"

"Silly, Bella," he smile at me. "I know where I'm going."

"But— oh!" Edward pulled me swiftly into his arms when I began to protest.

It was rather odd, being carried through the forest with no idea where I was. Slightly thrilling. Edward walked gracefully, never stumbling like would have. I simply relaxed and enjoyed the fresh air.

"Close your eyes," he demanded after a while.

I snapped them shut obediently. I felt myself being set on a flat piece of ground. Edward remained behind me with his arms around my waist to help me keep my balance.

"Open,"

I gasped as I took in the scene around me. We were in a small perfect meadow. The sun wasn't out but everything seemed to sparkle. It was something that came straight from a fairy tale.

"Wow," I whispered, at a loss for words. "It's beautiful."

Edward murmured his agreement, "Mmm, I like to come here when I want to be alone. Nobody else knows where it is. I thought you would appreciate it."

"Wow," I breathed again, this time out of amazement at his words. He had chosen to share his secret place with me. Me, of all people.

I turned around in his arms so that I was facing him. I looked up into his eyes for a long moment.

I don't know what exactly I saw there, but something in his eyes made me lose my mind. Every conscious decision I had made to keep myself safe flew out the window, and I no longer cared about any of it.

For one second I let my heart take over. That second was all it took. I stretched up on my toes and pressed my lips against his.

Instantly, I felt Edward tense. His lips formed a hard line and his arms stiffened around me. I pulled away as fast as I could but it was too late, the damage had been done.

"I-I'm s-sorry." I stuttered, looking at my shoes. I struggled fruitlessly, trying to free myself. "I know I sh-shouldn't have . . . I really didn't mean . . ."

His arms fell limply to his sides and I stepped back a few paces. "I know you don't- I mean, you don't have to . . . I understand."

"Bella," he said, his voice unfathomable. I couldn't bear to look at his face. How could I have done something so _stupid_?

I turned my back on him to hide the tears that were stinging my eyes. A cold hand caught my wrist.

"Bella," he repeated in the same tone.

In one swift movement, Edward tugged on my wrist so that I was facing him again. He placed his other on the back of my neck, pulling me closer to him. His eyes burned into mine, so many emotions danced across them that I found myself growing dizzy. Or maybe that was because I had forgotten how to breath . . .

Edward was the only thing in the entire world that mattered anymore. He filled my senses, overpowering everything.

He bent forward carefully, still staring at me with those piercing golden eyes. Ever so gently, he placed his lips on mine.

The kiss was like something straight out of a sappy romance novel. The kind you read about but could never imagine in your wildest dream. Only better.

He was gentle and firm at the same time. His lips were ice cold and mine were hot from the blood pulsing beneath them. The contrast sent sparks flying through my body. My hands trailed up his chest and tangled into his bronze hair. He kissed me so carefully, tenderly but I could tell that he meant it. He wanted this too.

As soon as it had started, it was over. I was standing there, wrapped in Edward's unyielding embrace, gasping for air. And he was doing the same. His eyes twinkled and a slow smile spread across his face. The corners of my mouth turned upward as I took a moment to let what had happened sink in.

Edward Cullen had kissed me. _Kissed _me. Kissed _me_.

"Wow," I said again.

**Well there you have it. It's 1:00 in the morning right now and I'm going to die at school tomorrow but it was worth it. I'll just have to tell my Chem teacher that it was you guy's faults I didn't do most of my homework. Longest chappy ever (really didn't plan it to be this long, over 9 pages) and they KISSED!!**

**REVIEW because you love me! O, and please excuse any grammar + spelling errors, I'm about to fall asleep right now. **


	21. Chapter 21

**I'm sorry that I don't have time to reply to all of you guys. But I think you'd rather me spend an hour writing than emailing. So now I'm going to answer some of the questions that a lot of you have been asking:**

**When is Edward going to tell Bella he's a vampire? **That is for me to know and you to find out. I must say that I really like how I'm planning on doing it.

**Is Edward going to try to leave?** Not anytime soon. He plans on staying until Bella doesn't need him anymore. Although, that kiss might just change his mind for the better.

**Will Charlie** **be nicer to Bella once he is out of the hospital? **Yes, because after beating her brutally for the past ten years, one car accident is going to change him. (That's called sarcasm, in case you didn't catch it.) Duh, Charlie's still mean. There would be no story if he stopped hurting her.

**Why didn't Bella hear that Edward didn't have a heartbeat? **One, she wasn't really paying attention. Two, if you lay your head against something you can kinda feel your own heartbeat. I really don't have a straight answer for this one.

**Why isn't Bella suspicious about the vampires? **She is. She just doesn't know what to think about the things she's seen. Right now, Bella's just gathering information.

**Disclaimer: I don't own nothin' . . . honest.**

Bella's POV

"Bella," Edward whispered my name softly. It seemed as if it hurt him to speak. "We shouldn't be doing this."

I blushed and looked away. Rejection cut like a knife. Of course he didn't want me like this. How could he? "I'm sorry." I really didn't know what else to say. "Don't feel guilty because you don't want . . . I mean, you shouldn't feel obligated to . . ."

"I never said that I didn't want this." His velvety voice contradicted my negative thoughts. "I only said that we _shouldn't_. This is wrong for both of us in so many ways."

"I don't care." I mumbled, still staring pointedly at my feet.

Edward groaned and pulled me closer. He tucked my head under his chin and held me there. "You _should _care. You shouldn't want to be with someone like me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm dangerous, Bella." He sounded agonized.

"You already told me that." I couldn't see how he would be dangerous. He had never done anything but help me.

"And yet, you refuse to listen to me."

"Yes," I said. I didn't care even if he was dangerous. I would still love him.

"It would be so much safer for you if you ran away from me. You would if you knew the truth . . ." he trailed off. I could tell he was lost in thought.

"Try me," I said, my voice cocky. As if he could say anything that would make me leave him.

"I'm afraid to," he was being cautious.

"Why?" I prompted, trying to get something out of him.

"Because, if I do tell you the truth, then you won't want to be with me. And I'm scared of losing you. But at the same time, I _want _you to run. You would be safe."

The beautiful meadow was completely forgotten now. It was just Edward and I, with no sense of time or space. We were lost in our own conversation.

"But you don't want me gone." I didn't say it like a question.

He sighed, "No, of course not."

"Then I'm not going anywhere." I pulled back slightly to rest my forehead against his.

Edward's eyes were closed, but I could still see the worry lines etched on his perfect face. He was just as afraid of this as I was. He was just as insecure.

"Edward," I whispered. He opened his eyes to meet mine. I tried to tell him that I understood, that everything was going to be alright, but I didn't know how.

I leaned forward slowly and he met me halfway. The kiss was soft and meaningful. I meant it, and so did he.

He pulled back gently and I kept my eyes closed.

The reality of what had just happened was starting to sink in. _I kissed Edward. And he kissed me back._

A slow grin spread across my flushed face. I opened my eyes shyly, looking up to see Edward. His expression matched mine.

I giggled quietly, this was getting sort of awkward.

"Oh, Bella." Edward's voice was happy now, not as tense as before.

All of the sudden, I was swept up into his arms. He spun me around in a circle and set me back on my feet, leaving me dizzy.

"What was that for?" I asked breathlessly.

"I have been wanting to do that for a _very _long time."

"Twirl me around like that?" I said, confused.

"No, silly girl," he replied with a chuckle. "This," and he pressed his lips against mine once more.

We stayed silent for a while. I was the first to break it, there was something I needed to know. "Why did you freeze up like that? You know, when I . . . um, ya."

"Very articulate, Bella."

"Oh, just answer the question." I said impatiently.

"You caught me off guard, that's all. I wasn't expecting you to kiss me. I thought that I would have to be the one to . . . But I wasn't sure if you wanted this, or . . ."

"Now who's lost for words, Mr. Cullen?" I replied mockingly.

"Only around you, my dear." He said, kissing me again.

I sighed lightly. "You know, I'm never this bold. I don't know what came over me back there."

"Well, whatever it was, I am eternally grateful." He said serenely. "I would never have had the guts to make the first move."

"Why?" I was surprised. Surely he knew what he was doing, right?

"You should know that I'm completely new at this." Edward glanced away shiftily.

"At what?"

"This," he repeated, gesturing between us. "Being with you."

"But you _have _to know what you're doing better that I do." I blushed deeply as I continued. "I've never kissed anyone before."

"Mmm, that's nice." He closed his eyes dreamily.

"Why is that nice?" _And why am I asking so many questions?_

"Because that makes two of us."

"_WHAT?_" I gasped. "You really haven't kissed anyone before?"

"No," he opened his eyes and I could see no hint of a lie there.

"But . . . I mean, you're . . . I wouldn't have guessed . . . well, um." I stuttered awkwardly. I couldn't say what I was really thinking. _How are you such a god kisser?_ My face turned pink at the mere idea of telling him that.

"Honestly, Bella." His voice was sincere. "I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing here. I'm going with what my instincts tell me, and I don't know how reliable that is."

I could tell that he was nervous. And I felt the same way. "I don't know what I'm doing either, Edward. Let's just agree to do what feels right."

"I think I can handle that." As he spoke, he bent down slightly so that his lips could reach my face. He kissed my forehead, like he had done many times before. Then his soft cold lips moved down my nose and across my cheekbone to my ear. He whispered my name in his sweet honey voice.

My breathing was erratic and my heat was thumping wildly in my chest. Edward's lips paused just above mine.

"Ed-Edward," I whimpered. He knew what I wanted and so he complied. He kissed me more freely than he had before and I greedily kissed him back.

When I pulled away gasping for air, he loosened his grip on me. My knees were weak and I fell back onto the soft grass behind me with a quiet thump. I was shocked, I had been expecting Edward to catch me. I gazed up at him confused, and what I saw frightened me.

Edward stood stock still, it didn't even look like he was breathing. His eyes were coal black, just like they were when it tried to kill myself.

"Edward?" my voice shaky and scared.

He snapped out of it then, his gaze shifting to me. His eyes were wild, something was wrong. "Bella," he whispers\ed urgently, so quietly that I could barely hear him. "You are in danger, you have to trust me."

"I do," I was afraid, I didn't know what to think.

He nodded swiftly. Then, in one blinding movement, he grabbed my wrist and with one arm he swung me onto his back. I gasped, there was no way a normal person could lift me up with one hand.

Before I had time to process what was going on, Edward took off into the trees. He was running faster than humanly possible and only picking up speed. Trees swept past us and he narrowly avoided a collision each time. I clung to him with all my might.

"Edward," I said frantically. _What is going on?_

"Shh," He reached up to clamp a hand over my mouth. I felt nauseous from the speed and my head was starting to spin.

A few seconds later, Edward came to an abrupt halt in a small clearing. It was different from the meadow he had showed me before. There was nothing special here.

He slid me off his back and I struggled to keep my balance on the solid ground.

"Edward," I tried again. "What's happening?"

He didn't meet my eyes when he answered, but stared intently at a point in the forest. "I'm sorry, Bella. This was never something I wanted you to face. I'm so, so sorry for putting you in danger like this." His voice was low and anguished.

"What are you talking about?"

But before he could respond, three figures emerged into the clearing. Edward sank into a defensive crouch in front of me, a feral growl ripping through his throat.

**Le gasp! Whoever could it be? My entire story line just changed but I like it much better this way. This scene was going to happen eventually, just not for a while. This chapter is pretty short, but I wanted to give you something.**

**IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ****TOO LATE****: I will get to it eventually. But the thing is, I know where Be My Escape is going but not where it will end. With Too Late, I know exactly how it's going to end, but nothing up to that point.**

I apologize for my spastic updates but REVIEW!! :P


	22. IM BACK!

Okay guys, I am really super sorry for ignoring my fanfics for so sooooo long. I'm a bad meanie author and now I'm going to get you all excited thinking its a new chapter but its not. Trust me I have my excuses for not updating but they all seem rather pathetic so I won't bore you with them. But the good news is that I'M BACK!!!! =D

I got a new laptop (which is adorable btw, not that anyone really cares) which means that now I can sit in my room for hours and write without bothering the rest of my family who needs to use our home computer. YAY!!! so that means I can get back to my fanfics! I can't promise very frequent updates (i'm taking 3 AP courses this year and i'm already dying of homework) but I am going to try to write one chapter per month for Be My Escape and Too Late!

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through all of this! And to all of you who continued to nag me to update I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means so much to me that you guys like my story I can't even begin to tell you!

THANKS EVERYBODY!!! I love you guys all so much that I'm starting the next chapter of Be My Escape RIGHT NOW! I'll try to have it up by Sunday ***crosses fingers***

XOXO Sexy Vegetarian Vampire


	23. Chapter 22

**Hey guys, I am SOOO incredibly sorry that this has taken so long. I owe you about a hundred giant chapters. Thank you guys for all of your amazing reviews and sticking with me even though I've been so bad about updating. So now I present to you.... the long awaited chapter 22!!!!**

**PS. Almost everyone guessed who the three mysterious figures were. Little bit obvious but oh well :D**

**Disclaimer: don't own anything.**

_**Just to let you guys know, I go by the book with my villains. Laurent has dark hair and olive skin, and James has lighter brown hair.**_

Bella's POV

_A few seconds later, Edward came to an abrupt halt in a small clearing. It was different from the meadow he had showed me before. There was nothing special here._

_He slid me off his back and I struggled to keep my balance on the solid ground._

"_Edward," I tried again. "What's happening?"_

_He didn't meet my eyes when he answered, but stared intently at a point in the forest. "I'm sorry, Bella. This was never something I wanted you to face. I'm so, so sorry for putting you in danger like this." His voice was low and anguished._

"_What are you talking about?"_

_But before he could respond, three figures emerged into the clearing. Edward sank into a defensive crouch in front of me, a feral growl ripping through his throat._

My entire body trembled in fear as Edward positioned himself between me and the strangers.

"Good evening," said the man with dark hair, clearly the leader of the little group.

Edward did not reply. Instead he let out a feral growl, inhuman and terrifying. Instinctively, I took a step backwards, bracing myself against a tree for support. Edward turned his head and, for one brief second, his eyes met mine, his expression unreadable. Before I could register whatever he was trying to communicate to me, his attention snapped forward again.

"Tut tut," said the leader, shaking his head mockingly, "not one for pleasantries, I see"

"Don't. Touch. Her." Edward snarled and all three pairs of blood red eyes flashed dangerously.

The woman with long wild hair, the color of fire, licked her lips and subtly glanced at the lighter haired man, as though seeking permission for something. With a tiny nod of his head, the two moved forward. The man I had originally assumed to be the leader stepped back and the other man stepped up to lead the little pack.

Edward seemed to be expecting this as he was already focused on the light haired man. Although, I'm not sure that 'man' was the correct term. They were obviously far from human.

"And who's going to stop me?" asked the true leader. At this, the woman let out a cruel chuckle. Her eyes appeared excited, as did both of the men's.

Edward's only response was another deep growl.

"Have it your way, then," the light haired man replied, smiling sadistically. I couldn't remember ever being so scared in my entire life. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, as both men sank into low crouches and launched themselves at Edward.

Then, all of a sudden, everything was happening too quickly to comprehend. All I could see was a blur of white bodies and hear the horrible snarls and what sounded like giant boulders crashing together.

"EDWARD!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice was high, rough, cracked, and desperate.

_No no no no no! This can not be happening._ I thought to myself. _I can't lose him. I can't. I can't._

Then I felt a sudden breeze brush past me, light as a butterfly's wings.

"No need to yell, sweetheart," whispered a harsh, girly voice in my ear. I cried out in panic before her hand clamped over my mouth, her skin just as unnaturally cold as Edward's was.

I thrashed and kicked against her, but she held my wrists with one hand. She was strong; much too strong.

I heard a grunt of pain and I could tell it came from Edward. I cringed back, closing my eyes. His pain cut through me like a knife.

The woman laughed again. "Did you think he cared about you, hmm?"she sneered in that baby-like voice, and then let out another cold, hard laugh. Murmuring in my ear, she said "You're nothing to him. Just a silly little human who smells absolutely scrumptious."

I heard her lick her lips and inhale deeply. Hot tears pricked at my eyes, making it impossible to see.

She gasped in delight, "Oh this just keeps getting better and better! You love him, don't you? Hate to break it to you, Honey, but he's only keeping you around so that he can—"

But she was cut off by a huge crash. The dark haired man had been thrown into a tree, splitting it in half. But in the second that it had taken Edward to hurl him away, he was tackled to the ground by the other man and pinned there with no chance of escape.

XxXxXxXxX

My heart stuttered in my chest and my breath cut off. All time seemed to stand still.

"Well, well, well," said the man who was holding Edward down. "That was not _nearly _as much fun as I had hoped it would be." He seemed disappointed but his voice maintained that slightly sarcastic tone.

This was it. We were both going to die here in this little clearing in the middle of nowhere. The reality of the situation began to set in and I stopped struggling against the woman's hold. There was no chance of escape.

The leader spoke again, "So what are we going to do about that, now?"

Edward did not respond. His expression was probably the mirror image of mine. He, too, knew that this was the end.

A small sigh escaped the lips of the leader. "I suppose it really wasn't a fair fight. How on Earth could I expect you and one measly human to beat the three of us?" He let out a chuckle of amusement.

"James?" The woman spoke sharply and suddenly from behind me, making me jump in fright. "You know that we are all just _dying_ for a little drink. You can't seriously be thinking what I think you are."

I didn't know what the man, James apparently was his name, was supposed to be thinking about. All I knew was that the woman didn't sound pleased at all. That had to be a good thing for Edward and I.... didn't it?

"Oh, but I am, Victoria." He jeered happily. "Smell! He has friends. Several of them, it seems to me. Would it not be so much more satisfying to beat them all? In a fight that was even? You know we could do it, you know we could."

"No!" She practically shouted. "I can not accept this!"

"It is my word, Victoria." James responded darkly. His eyes, which had been lightening steadily, suddenly turned pitch black again. "And you will not disrespect me like this, ever again. Do I make myself clear?"

It reminded me a little bit of how Charlie usually spoke to me. I felt a stab of something almost like sympathy for the terrifying creature who was pinning my arms behind my back.

"Release her!" James ordered. My arms were freed at once and Victoria stepped away, her head bowed.

"And as for you," He continued, looking down at Edward. "We will be back for you when the time is right. But now I suggest you have your little snack, before I decide to that I should have her instead. You see, I do not usually show mercy, and she does smell quite lovely. I might just change my mind and keep her all too myself." He finished his statement with a malicious sneer, and a startling glint in his eye.

And with that, he let go of Edward and retreated gracefully into the trees with the other two following him.

XxXxXxXxX

The clearing was filled with a silence so intense, neither of us seemed to be breathing. I could hear every sound in the surrounding forest, chirping birds, and snapping twigs. But none of it mattered right now. My legs were shaking so badly that I crumpled, my knees meeting the hard ground with a forceful thump.

Edward was still laying on the ground where James had left him. He stared up at the canopy of leaves and branches above us, unseeing.

We stayed like that, neither of us moving. Both were afraid to break the stillness that had fallen.

Finally, I just couldn't take it anymore and I spoke. "E-Ed...Edward," my voice was tense and strained. It was hard to just simply speak his name. My throat was choked up and I felt as though I might cry.

He didn't even stir at the sound of his name so I tried again. "Edward," it was easier to speak clearly now. Then I asked the question that had been resting at the tip of my tongue for much too long. "_What are you?_"

"Bella...," He sounded broken and torn. I hated to hear him like that and I ached to make him feel better. But there were some things that I needed to know.

"Please, Edward. Please just answer me. Don't I have the right to know?"

"You do," He continued to stare straight upward. "Of course you do. I'm so sorry, Bella. So fucking sorry. I should never have done this, any of this. I put you in danger and it isn't fair to you."

"Just answer the goddamn question," I almost growled. He was avoiding it but I _had _to know.

There was a long pause and then finally, "I am a monster, Bella," he said slowly, taking care to pronounce every single word. "A real one. The kind you read about in books. The kind that haunt the nightmares of small children. I am so, so sorry."

"Please stop apologizing," I was beginning to grow impatient. "Edward, I am so confused right now. All I need is for you to give me a straight answer. _What. Are. You?"_

Once again, he remained silent for a long moment before opening his mouth and uttered the one word that would change everything, forever. "Vampire."

I froze for a moment. I said nothing, I don't even think I was breathing. I just paused to let that sink in.

Vampire

_Vampire_

And all of the sudden, several thing clicked into place all at once; his ice cold skin, the changing eye color, the fact that I had never actually seen him eat real food, his impossible speed and agility, and come to think of it, I have never even heard his heart beat. It all made sense. He was telling the truth. Edward Cullen really was a Vampire. And that meant....

"Oh," I whispered in a faint little voice. I let out a long breath in relief. _Of course._

That finally got a reaction out of Edward. He sat up just as gracefully as ever and turned to face me. "Oh?" He asked in a tone that bordered on hysteria. "Oh? That's really all you have to say?"

I was shocked. He usually sounded to cool, calm, and collected. This Edward was not the one I was used to.

"Well what do you want me to say?" I responded. I knew exactly what was going to happen now. I accepted it, almost welcomed it. "It's alright, Edward. I get it now."

"So why are you still here?" I couldn't put his tone into words. He sounded so angry, but at the same time, so sad.

"Even if I tried to run, I don't think that it would do me very much good. I think that I would be right in guessing that you could catch me without much trouble." I spoke like I used to before I had met Edward. I was detached, emotionless. Completely logical. Thinking with my head instead of my heart.

"I wouldn't follow you, Bella." All of the anger was gone now, and it had been replaced with pure raw sadness. His eyes burned into mine, just as pitch black as Jame's had been. They told me that he only spoke the truth. "I would let you leave."

"Ha," I laughed without any humor. "It's okay, Edward. Honestly, I really just wish that you would get it over with already."

"Get what over with?" He sounded genuinely confused, but then again, I am sure that he must have been a fabulous actor. After all, how many times had he lied to me in the rather short amount of time that I had known him?

"You can drop the act now. I'm serious, it's okay." I didn't care anymore what happened to me. I welcomed my fate, accepted it with open arms.

"Bella, _I'm _serious. I do not have the slightest clue what you are talking about. Life would be so much easier if I could just read your damn mind. But I can not. So you are going to have to explain yourself."

"Well, it's just like those two were saying," I stated matter-o-factly. I didn't know how much longer my calmness would last. I could tell that I was only an inch away from losing my head. "I never meant anything to you, did I? Just a little snack, a little human whose blood you wanted to drink. God, Edward." I was starting to lose it now. I had to fight to talk `through the growing lump in my throat. "I just want to know one thing, first. Why did you do it? Why did you have to make me fall for you? Couldn't you just have gotten it over with that day you found me with the gun at my head? Did you honestly think that it would be better this way or ---"

"Bella!" He cut me off sharply. I suddenly became aware that there were tears streaming down my face but I made no effort to stop them. What did it matter anyways?

"Bella," he said again, softer this time. "Bella, I'm not a killer. I was never going to harm you in any way. My family and I, we don't feed off of humans."

"Y-you don't?" I choked out.

"No. I was never my intention to feed off of you. Ever."

"But... But that woman... Victoria, she said that.....," I trailed off uncertainly.

"I don't eat humans, Bella. But those three do. To them, I'm sure that you would be nothing more than a snack. But not to me... never to me."

"So why have you spent all this time trying to convince me that you're dangerous?" My thoughts were swirling through my head. It was so hard just to decide which question to ask. For every one I thought of, there was another, even more important one that I needed answered.

"Because I am, Bella. Why can't you grasp that?" He sounded strained and exasperated. He dropped his head down into the palms of his hands and sat there in anguish. "I could kill you so easily, without even meaning to. Every time I touch you is putting you at risk. I have to be so careful... if I were to lose control at any second..."

"Edward," I whispered his name so quietly but I knew that he had heard. I couldn't stand seeing him like this. Slowly, I got to my feet, still trembling, and made my way towards him. Each step I took was measured carefully. I didn't know what was going to happen now. I thought he was just going to eat me, or suck my blood, or whatever... but this had thrown me off completely. Maybe everything he had said to me wasn't a lie after all...

I plopped myself down beside him on the cold forest floor. Then I took both of his hands in mine forcing him to meet my gaze. Sparks of electricity flew between us just as they always had. This couldn't all have been a lie. But still... I had to be sure.

"Edward," I said again.

"Bella," His eyes blazed with too many emotions for me to recognize. "Bella, I---"

But I cut him off my pressing my lips against his. He kissed me back softly with quivering lips. My arms snaked around his neck and pulled him closer but Edward pulled away rather sharply.

"What the _hell _are you doing?"

Rejection pierced through me like a knife as I let my arms fall back to my sides limply. "I'm sorry," I looked a the ground sounding weak... pathetic.

"Bella," He placed a cool finger under my chin and lifted my face up so our eyes met. "Bella, listen to me. You shouldn't be doing this."

"What do you mean?"

"How on Earth are you still here? Any normal human would have ran away screaming by now."

"When have I ever been normal, Edward?" I asked with a weak smile.

"So you just accept it? The fact that I'm a monster." He questioned sardonically.

"Of course not," I said. "I'm not _that _insane. How could you not have told me about this? You let this go on for so long without saying a thing. Were you _ever_ planning on telling me?"

He remained quite. I took his silence as a no.

"God, Edward. How is that fair?"

"It's not, Bella." He didn't meet my gaze as he spoke. "I'm so, so sorry. I guess I was just hoping that you would figure it out or something. Or maybe listen to what I was saying about how I was dangerous and how I was no good for you. I was terrified of telling you. I wanted you to be safe but at the same time, I couldn't bear the thought of not having you."

"So you were never going to tell me?" I was getting angry now.

"Not unless I had to, Bella. But you have to understand that I wasn't planning on staying forever. Not at first."

"What so you were just going to leave me once you got bored? Is that it?" I spat. Tears filled my eyes once again.

"No, Bella. No, no, no." He shook his head fervently. "I was just going get you out of your father's house. I was going to stay until you were safe. I couldn't let myself get involved with a human. But I did. And it's too late to change any of that."

"You do realize what would have happened after that don't you?" I asked him, still not accepting his many apologies. "I would have ended up right back where you found me, with that gun pressed against my skull. Or perhaps at the edge of a cliff. It doesn't matter. I would have found a way to end it all. My life doesn't mean a thing without you in it. Before I met you, I was so tough. Nothing could phase me. I thought with my head. Well congratulations because you fucked all of that up."

"Bella...,"

But I didn't let him continue. Now that I had gotten started it was hard to make myself stop. "And none of that even matters to you, does it? I was just some silly little human girl that you 'got involved with'. I fell for you so hard and you were just going to leave me! I can't believe that I trusted you. Everything you ever said to me was a big fat lie!"

"I never lied to you, Bella." His face was filled with ancient grief.

"Bull shit!" I yelled. My heart raced and my breathing was erratic.

"I didn't tell you about what I was because my world is not safe for you. You saw what happened with those three. You could have been killed so easily, and all because of me. Because I was selfish."

"I don't give a fuck, Edward." I was beginning to calm down now. We were both being stubborn and we were both being stupid. "Nothing matters as long as I can be with you."

"You shouldn't feel like this. I shouldn't have let this go so far. I shouldn't have let myself get so attached to you."

"Listen to me," I said, placing my hands on either side of his face and making him look at me. "I. Do. Not. Care. I don't. I don't care what you are or how much danger I'm in. You're the only thing that gets me through the day, Edward. Without you I would be dead."

"Bella, that is so _stupid,_" He said. I couldn't believe this guy. Here I was pouring my heart out to him. Practically telling him I was in love with him and all he could say was that I'm stupid. My eyes continued to leak, a steady river of tears was flowing down my face. I had never felt so broken or vulnerable in my entire life.

Bet he continued speaking anyways, "You can't feel like that. I'm no good for you."

"Edward," I was almost sobbing now and it was becoming difficult to talk. "I've told you how I feel. Now I need you to do the same. If you don't want me, I promise I'll go. But if you do, then we owe it to ourselves to at least give this a shot don't we?"

"How on Earth could you doubt my feelings for you?" He asked incredulously. "Haven't I made it quite clear that you mean more to me than anything in the universe?"

"I... I---"

He took my face gently between his big strong hands and said clearly, pronouncing every syllable, "Bella Swan, I am completely and utterly in love with you."

**WHEW!!! jeeze, that was my longest chapter yet! Hope that makes up for me neglecting my stories at least a little bit. Too Late is up next! I lost my outline for that story so i'm making a new one. Next chapter should be up by the end of October!**

**Your reviews mean the world to me! Leave one please? =D**


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